The Manipur government has suspended internet services in five valley districts following a bomb attack that killed two children and injured their mother in Bishnupur district. The incident triggered protests, leading to the suspension of internet services to prevent the spread of misinformation.
The government said in an order that mobile internet services would be banned in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma briefed Governor CH Vijayashankar on the law and order situation in the Garo Hills region following recent violence related to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in five districts of western Meghalaya following violence related to tribal council elections. Curfews are in place and elections have been postponed.
Instant messaging platform Telegram has been restored in India after a week-long government ban, imposed due to its alleged role in circulating leaked NEET examination papers, expired. The Delhi High Court had upheld the ban as lawful and necessary.
A sovereign cloud, our own DNS root and Root CA, a defence-led research base that builds for keeps, and a real national cybersecurity strategy that outlives electoral cycles are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a nation that can be switched off and one that cannot, points out Venkata Satish Guttula.
The situation in Kokrajhar escalated late on January 19 after a Scorpio vehicle carrying three Bodo individuals hit two Adivasi persons at Mansingh Road under the Karigaon police outpost.
Following an alleged assault, fresh violence erupted in Manipur's Ukhrul district, resulting in arson and prompting the suspension of internet services. Tensions remain high as security forces work to restore order.
Curfew imposed in Meghalaya's East and West Garo Hills districts has been relaxed to allow residents to procure essential items following violence related to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections.
Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk has voiced his support for the online 'cockroach' movement, urging the government to engage with the concerns raised by youngsters instead of suppressing their digital expression. He described himself as an 'honorary cockroach' and praised the movement's creative and non-violent approach to dissent.
The unrest erupted on Monday night after a Bodo man allegedly knocked down a Santhal Adivasi youth with his car. The Bodo individual was later killed by a mob.
Security has been increased across four districts in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly division for Dussehra, with internet services suspended in Bareilly district for 48 hours to prevent the spread of rumors and maintain public order.
Curfew and mobile internet suspension imposed in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district following violence related to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election nomination process.
Tension grips Malkangiri district in Odisha after a tribal woman was beheaded, leading to clashes and property damage. Internet services are suspended as authorities work to restore peace.
Police on Monday detained a close associate of cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the recent violence in Bareilly during a protest in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign, officials said.
It is shameful that Kashmir Times has been attacked in the way it has and that Anuradha Bhasin has not found more voices to speak in support of her and her paper, points out Aakar Patel.
The situation remained tense but peaceful during the day, amid heavy police deployment in the area.
The Manipur government on Sunday extended the suspension of mobile internet for two days in nine districts of the state till December 3.
The situation in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which was marred by incidents of violence following protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, was calm and peaceful on Wednesday with no reports of any untoward incident. Prohibitory orders were clamped in and around Raghunathganj and Suti police station areas and large police force deployed in all sensitive areas of the district, especially in and around Jangipur town, where a large number of people had assembled on Tuesday afternoon, demanding the withdrawal of the legislation. Internet connectivity remained suspended within the areas under the Jangipur sub-division to prevent the spread of any disinformation. Protestors, who had gathered in large numbers on the NH-12 in the Jangipur area to protest against the Waqf Bill, hurled stones at the police who were deployed in the area, on Tuesday afternoon. A couple of vehicles belonging to the police were allegedly torched during the protest and police had to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. A few policemen were injured in the stone pelting. Police have also detained a few people in connection with the incident. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose condemned the incident and said attempts to disturb the law and order situation in the state "should be put down with an iron hand". The opposition BJP alleged that the law and order situation in the state was "crumbling" under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was busy with "minority appeasement". The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament. The Act aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare. It also seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders' rights.
The order to extend the suspension was issued by additional chief secretary (home), TVSN Prasad, on Saturday evening.
India has incurred the third highest losses globally due to Internet shutdowns in 2023.
Frustration continues to mount over the prolonged mobile internet suspension with a Senapati district-based Naga students body imposing highway blockade over the issue since October 5.
Besides Nuh, the services will remain snapped in Faridabad, Palwal and the territorial jurisdiction of sub-division Sohna, Pataudi and Manesar of Gurugram district.
Curfew was relaxed in three Imphal Valley districts on Tuesday and the suspension on broadband internet lifted with conditions, even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh blamed the Congress for the present crisis in Manipur and NDA MLAs called for a "mass operation" against militants responsible for the killing of six women and children. Peaceful rallies were also staged across the state, with hundreds taking to the streets with empty coffins in Churachandpur district, demanding justice for those killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Jiribam, and members of various civil society organisations bringing out a procession in Imphal West district to protest the reimposition of AFSPA in parts of the state.
'We are ready to exchange views with the government, primarily through video call.' 'The government should immediately declare a formal ceasefire for a month, stop search operations and take forward the peace process.'
The home ministry said the central government would continue to welcome the discussion with LAB and KDA through the high powered committee on Ladakh or any such platform.
The Manipur government on Tuesday lifted the suspension on broadband internet conditionally in a 'liberalised manner', nearly three months after it was banned due to the ethnic violence in the state.
Internet services remained disrupted for the fifth day at the site on Delhi's outskirts where protesters are occupying a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway since November, even as a Ghaziabad Police officer told PTI that online connectivity has been restored but there could be glitches.
In the wake of a massive protest at Badlapur in Maharashtra's Thane district over the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls, internet services in the town were suspended while most schools remained shut on Wednesday, officials said.
Bimola Thounaojam, the mother of an 18-year-old youth, has been trying frantically trying to work out how to get her son admitted to a college outside Manipur without having to go through the usual net-based admission procedure.
Lifting the suspension of internet services in violence affected Haldwani, Nainital police on Sunday warned of stringent action against miscreants who try to disrupt communal harmony by posting any provocative photo, comment, etc., on social media.
According to the police, the trouble erupted in the Bhagwan Bazar locality of Chhapra, which is the headquarters of Saran district, when a procession for immersion of Goddess Durga's idols was being taken out.
It said Sadhguru has acquired uniqueness pertaining to his personality qua his voice, name, signature, image, likeness, vocal, articulation style and his unique attire, looks or appearance.
Expressing concern over frequent internet shutdown without any empirical study, a Parliamentary panel has pulled up the Department of Telecommunications for not maintaining the record of incidents and inaction on several of its recommendations. The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on 'Suspension of Telecom Services and Internet and its impact' tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the panel has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to lay down a clear cut principle of proportionality and procedure for lifting of shutdown in coordination with the home ministry to prevent any misuse of the suspension rules. The panel rejected the logic of the DoT and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for not maintaining the record of the shutdown, saying it cannot simply take the plea that police and public order are essentially state subjects and suspension of the internet does not actually come under the ambit of crimes.
A vacation bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Rajesh Bindal said the high court is already seized of a similar issue.
Expressing concern over frequent internet shutdown without any empirical study, a parliamentary panel has pulled up the department of telecommunications for not maintaining the record of incidents and inaction on several of its recommendations.
The Punjab government Thursday extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts till Friday noon while lifting the curbs in Moga, Sangrur, Ajnala sub-division in Amritsar and a few areas in Mohali.
Official sources said mobile Internet services were suspended both in Poonch and Rajouri districts as a precautionary measure to check rumour-mongering and prevent miscreants from creating any law and order problem.
The government announced the decision apprehending spread of rumours through social media by anti-social elements ahead or during the rally called to be held on Monday.
The Punjab government has extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services till Tuesday noon, even as the hunt for the Khalistan sympathizer Amritpal Singh continued for the third day.
