Definition & Legal Framework

• Per Access Now, an internet shutdown is an “intentional disruption of internet or electronic communications” to control information flow, ranging from full disruption to speed throttling or platform blocking.
• Earlier law: Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and Temporary Suspension Rules, 2017.
• Current law: Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024.
• Under Section 20(2)(b), suspension is permitted only during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety, with reasons in writing; a protest by itself is not a lawful ground. Under the 2024 Rules, a suspension order cannot exceed 15 days.
• Despite updated laws, several states still invoke the Telegraph Act, 1885 and 2017 Rules, bypassing 2024 safeguards.

Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020)

• Shutdown orders may be challenged before a High Court under Article 226 or before the Supreme Court under Article 32; indefinite suspensions are unlawful.

• In August 2025, the Andhra Pradesh High Court questioned how citizens could recognise plainclothes personnel as police while performing official duties.
• Chapter XI of BNSS (Sections 148 to 160), formerly Chapter X of CrPC, governs maintenance of public order and tranquillity; the law allows only a magistrate or a “police officer” to disperse a crowd, implying identification.
• In DK Basu v. State of West Bengal (1997), the Supreme Court mandated that the arresting officer must bear clear and visible identification — a principle legal experts argue extends to crowd control too.

When Police Can Hide Identity

• The designated authority will have powers of a civil court and can order transfer or sale of assets to government or any body; it manages only assets created from foreign contributions, and only after registration has lawfully ceased.
• Vesting is initially provisional, with full restoration if registration is renewed; places of worship retain their religious character by law in all cases. Orders are subject to revision and appeal before the District Judge.

FCRA: Key Facts for Prelims

• FCRA was first enacted in 1976, repealed and replaced in 2010, coming into force on May 1, 2011; it is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• FCRA registration is valid for five years, requiring renewal; common grounds for administrative cancellation include non-filing of annual returns, non-renewal, or failure to maintain designated accounts (not necessarily wrongdoing).
• FCRA covers not just NGOs but lobbyists, think tanks, universities, companies, and anyone acting at a foreign principal’s direction.

FCRA 2020 vs FCRA 2026 (Proposed)

Historical Timeline

• Located in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh; inscriptions found include Prakrit language hymns on the Karmavatar (crocodile incarnation of Vishnu) and Sarpabandha pillar inscriptions on Sanskrit grammar.

WHO Antibiotic Classification (AWaRe)

• “Watch” antibiotic overuse increases the country’s antimicrobial resistance burden, requiring more “watch” antibiotics in the future.
• India’s National Action Plan on AMR is aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan on AMR (2015).

• The index includes companies that do not intentionally harm animals during their regular business operations, aligned with the principles of Ahimsa (non-violence).
• Companies are classified into green, orange, and red bands; orange and red band companies are excluded from the index.
• Expected to serve as a benchmark for asset managers and facilitate passive investment products including ETFs, index funds, and structured investment solutions.