India tops the list of internet shutdowns

Although in many countries the government shuts down the internet due to security reasons, the Indian government has surpassed all other countries in this regard. India has ranked first in terms of global internet shutdowns for the past five years. That's what a recent report published by Access Now and the KeepOn Coalition claims.

Last year, the Indian government shut down the internet 84 times in the country. The main reasons were the protests, violence, exams and elections in the country. In 2022, there were 49 internet shutdowns in Jammu and Kashmir alone, including 16 consecutive internet shutdowns between January and February. Rajasthan is second after Jammu and Kashmir to have 12 internet shutdowns in a year. West Bengal is at number three with seven internet shutdowns.

Since 2016, internet has been stopped repeatedly in India. Note that in 2016, 58 percent of global internet shutdowns occurred in India. The internet shutdown was ordered under the Temporary Suspension of Telecommunication Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.

The directive issued by the DOT states that the temporary suspension may be granted "due to public emergency or public safety". The power to shut down the internet rests with the home ministries at the central and state levels.

In 2021, a total of 30,000 hours of internet was shut down worldwide, resulting in a loss of $5.45 billion. India is third in the list of worst affected countries due to this shutdown. In India, internet was shut down for 1,157 hours in 2021, resulting in a loss of $582.8 million. 59 lakh people have  been affected due to internet shutdown.