Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information and Technology

Suspension of Telecom and Internet Services and its Impact

’ called for defining the parameters and a “

” for internet shutdown. The committee quoted, “

when the Government’s thrust is on digitization and knowledge economy with free and open access to the internet at its core, frequent suspension of internet on flimsy grounds is uncalled for and must be avoided. The Committee, therefore, recommends that a proper mechanism is put in place at the earliest to decide on the merit or appropriateness of telecom/internet shutdowns

 issued rules necessary to be followed while passing an order of Internet suspension. The reasons must clearly be included in the order and the order needs to be forwarded to a review committee the day after its issuance and must be reviewed by the committee within five days in accordance with section 5(2) of the telegraphic act that allows the government to restrict the transmission of messages in case of a public emergency or for the safety of the people.

Though the central government has never ordered a nationwide internet shutdown, 

 still tops the list of internet shutdowns globally. The 

’s tracker states that there have been about 

 is recorded to be the longest ever in any democratic country. The UT experienced an internet shutdown which was 

552 days long from August 4 2019 up till February 6, 2020

. Internet access at this time was either non-existent or only at 2G speeds.

With rules being neglected, the freedom of speech and trade on the Internet which is a fundamental right is often overlooked. Internet shutdowns have not only led to untold suffering for the public but also to grave economic losses. There should be more checks by the government to review the appropriateness of the rules on telecom or internet bans. Businesses relying on Internet services face up to 50% losses.

 have had multiple Internet shutdowns in 2019-20. Despite this, there is no maintenance of records of the shutdown orders with the 

 The officials of DOT and MHA reported that they were unaware of the total number of shutdowns that have been imposed. While the government’s thrust is on digitization, we’re still here topping the lists of internet shutdowns, along with being labeled “

” globally, without there being any proper records for the same.

Internet outages might seem very easy to live through but one can’t imagine the distress that follows when you can’t even have the access to the necessities of the present times. Students facing network issues cannot attend online classes or even access the required material for their courses. For those subjected to online examinations, the fear of not being able to submit their papers on time, after months of preparations and pressure, is something that adds to the tally of major inconveniences for the youth of the nation. Long-term Internet shutdowns have limited the public’s freedom of expressing freely as well. Journalists struggle to provide any kind of news online since they cannot upload pictures or videos. Students, on the other hand, are cut off from classes and even forced to drop out of school. Moreover, access to healthcare facilities also becomes difficult. Lack of proper internet facilities also affects businesses, online services, and so on, ultimately affecting the country’s economy. According to studies, 

India has suffered significant economic losses due to Internet shutdowns over the past 5 years

There should be strict monitoring of the rules of the Telephone Telegraphic Act which states that all kinds of telecom or Internet services can only be suspended during a public emergency or for the safety of the people. Experts have suggested that there is an urgent need for a better legislative framework with strong safeguards to curb the government’s arbitrary internet shutdown bids. There should be a proper authority to monitor whether an event hampers public safety and the necessity of warranting internet ban.

Internet Suspension in the Epoch of Technology

There is no specific consensus on how to define mass shootings, so the most common words to define it would be “

an incident with a minimum of 3 or 4 victims of gun violence

”. It’s in the United States that these incidents most commonly take place. The 

Investigative Assistance for Violent Crimes Act

 in the United States defines a mass killing as “

”. However, they haven’t given any specific definition for mass shootings. School shootings can be defined as “

an attack on an educational institution such as a primary, secondary, or a high school or university, with the use of arms

”. Many school shootings have been categorized as “

” since multiple casualties occur. This phenomenon is widely spread in the United States, with the nation recording the highest number of such attacks in the world.

It is depressing to discover that 27 school shootings have occurred in the US during the ongoing year 2022. The country has surpassed 200 instances of mass killings, including school shootings. The individuals involved in these attacks have been found to have high levels of 

. Their sources of motivation can vary, but when tried to cover under a broad umbrella, it mostly comes from different forms of depression, suicidal thoughts, built-up stress, or even the desire to be known or recognized. This has been taking place across the world, but the United States has the vastest history of school shootings.

The earliest and the most widely publicized school shooting that occurred in the US was back in 1999 at the 

. The incident involved two students who opened fire at the school, killing about 13 people, including 12 children and one teacher, leaving around 20 other people injured, and ultimately committing suicide. 

 in particular, has been observed to be an 

 of sorts in the United States over the years. While people advocate that gun-bearing measures should be made stronger in order to curb firearm violence, on the contrary, any such restriction could also violate the 

 which gives the right to keep or bear firearms.

There are many other countries where school shootings have been taking place, but contradictory methods of reporting school shootings, especially where no fatalities occur, differ from place to place; only the ones that are covered by recognized media outlets are usually considered.

. The most recent case in the States took place at 

, which is a primary school specifically for children between the age of seven and ten, located in 

, a teenager, was said to be a high school student from the same area. The 18-year-old opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing 19 children and two teachers and injuring many. This horrific killing of innocent children reignited the debate over guns in America, and President 

School shootings have involved despair, anger, suicidal thoughts, and most importantly, the availability of guns. Hence, school is the best place to discover the irregular behavior of children. Often there are signs that such children possess which reveal that they may be suffering from a psychological problem. Building a supportive, friendly, and cohesive school environment can help prevent such heinous actions. The administrative bodies should focus on creating an environment where children feel safe to talk to each other or the staff about any trauma they are going through. Life skills classes should be arranged for children to open up and talk about their experiences, whether good or bad so that they can be explained the positive ways to deal with their traumatic experiences.

There should be proper health care; the administration could use behavioral screening tools to analyze students’ mental health better. Teachers should address the risks of violence and its aftermath. Issues of mental health and bullying should be addressed, and the educators should employ more friendly behavior so that the students can get confidence and know that they can approach somebody when in need.

Families should be careful if they own some arms or weapons to keep them away from the sight of children and not discuss any such thing before them because ultimately, it’s the availability of guns that leads to such heinous acts. Lastly, our focus should be on building an environment where school shootings cannot take place. As so aptly demonstrated in the 

, making someone feel that they have value and that they matter can go a long way toward altering that individual’s life and, consequently, the lives of others.

School Shootings and the Construction of a Cultural Discourse of Emergency

Sri Lanka is a classic twin deficits economy,

 working paper. Twin deficits indicate that the national expenditure of the country overpasses its national income and the production of its tradable goods and services is meagre. The ongoing crisis was spurred by deep tax cuts assured by 

 in the midst of an election campaign in 2019, held months prior to the 

 pandemic that further wiped out Sri Lanka’s economy.

The country’s remunerative tourism industry and foreign workers’ compensations were debilitated due to the pandemic. Credit rating agencies proceeded to downgrade Sri Lanka and effectually struck it out of international capital markets. As a consequence, the country’s debt management program, which counted on accessing those markets, plummeted and foreign exchange reserves collapsed by almost 

Now the crisis will, needless to say, have its own impact on India, since India is also one of the largest trading partners of Sri Lanka and one of the top tourism sources. India accounts for 1.3% of the country’s total exports. Sri Lanka has pled for a supplementary $1.5 billion credit limit, in addition to the $1 billion assistance extended by India to ease pay for critical imports. India has also extended a $400 million currency swap and a $500 million credit line for fuel purchases to the island country. Around 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel have also been sent by India to mitigate the spike in power cuts in Sri Lanka. India was one of the biggest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Sri Lanka. Some of the biggest companies in the country have invested in Sri Lanka.

Due to inflation prices of basic essentials, commodities have risen so high that the common man is unable to purchase them. The protests against the existing government grew so violent that it was forced to impose a curfew and later they declared a state of emergency in the country.

With such high levels of inflation, the entire public system of the country came to a standstill. With such an economic situation and with the fact that the Sri Lankan government has asked for a $2.5 billion emergency aid from China, 

there is a threat that China may gain its influence in the island country

. Since Sri Lanka’s location is strategic, India should be vigilant of the Chinese endeavours to influence Sri Lanka.

Although India does not have many imports from Sri Lanka and less than $1 billion USD worth of goods are imported, there is a serious economic threat in terms of handling of Indian Trans-shipments. Sri Lanka is an important Trans-shipment hub that handles nearly 48% of our international cargo. India is catering to nearly 22% of the total GDP of the island country, through trade, tourism, and remittances. These factors will doubtlessly be affected by the current situation in Sri Lanka.

India has earlier witnessed that whenever there is a socio-political crisis in Sri Lanka, a large number of refugees move from the 

. Thinking straight, the first possible reason is that people belonging to the same 

 community are associated with each other for centuries, and the second is that after the Sri Lankan Civil war ceased, the confidence of the ethnic Tamil community in the Sri Lankan government weakened. It could prove to be difficult for India to handle such a big inflow of refugees. Enormous refugees have already started moving and India requires the formation of a strong policy to handle this issue. Although by 2009, Sri Lanka affirmed that it got rid of Tamil Rebel groups completely, things are still scorching inside. Tamils have still not received a legitimate representation in the government, and they are neglected the most in the current times. This economic crisis might provide a new life to already redundant rebels who are trying to find a cause to fuel up the issue. Along with Tamil Rebels, there are multiple nonconformist groups amid the ethnic Sinhalese population and we cannot overlook out the probability of them taking up arms during this time of crisis.

India must take every step very carefully in the case of Sri Lanka since, we hold collective social, strategic, as well as economic interests with the country, and we cannot afford to let anyone take advantage of this.

India Amidst the Sri Lankan Crisis

“Too many hands washed in widow’s tears

Of hope too distant, like skylight chandeliers”

In the popular sense we all know that war is a form of an extremely violent conflict between states, nations or political groups. At all times, we have tried to analyze wars, its nature, its consequences and therefore its aftermath, and we do know the impact it has on lives for ages even after it ceases.

 was the deadliest of all the wars that happened prior; the weapons were advanced and more countries were involved than any previous war. Over 9 million military personnel lost their lives, and over 7 million were left disabled. The economical balance of the world changed and inflation shot up in most countries. With troops travelling all over the world, an epidemic started which 

killed more than 25 million people across the world

. People began to suffer from fatal diseases, and food shortage led to malnutrition.

 and involved the vast majority of the world’s countries, including the great powers. Driving social, political, technological and economical change at the same time, WW2 was the most destructive war in history. Fought between the 

, it roughly destroyed around 39 million lives. Physical capitals were destroyed, economical statuses changed, families separated for lengthy time periods, properties abandoned or given up without receiving any compensation, and hunger became common – heinous crimes against humanity were committed. The children lost all protection since the adults were either out for war or killed in it. Witnessing the horrors of war at tender ages was such an injury that would walk alongside them for life, physically as well as mentally. As estimated, around 

During World War II, the United States detonated two nuclear weapons namely, “

 on the 6th and 9th of August, 1945. Millions of people were killed during the bombings, most of which were civilians. Even months after the attack people continued to die due to the effects of nuclear bombs, radiations, burns, injuries and malnutrition. There were large number of miscarriages due to the effects of radiations and significant increase in birth defects after the bombings. This inhuman destruction depicts well as to why the use of atomic weapons are fundamentally immoral and unethical.

Despite seeing the devastating effects of the two world wars these violent conflicts did not come to an end. They continue to take place between countries or, at times, interstate. The most recent example is not even a year old – the 

 continues to affect thousands of people irrespective of their civil or military background, in an unimaginable manner.

 gained independence and there was subsequent creation of the two nations, there have been evident conflicts between 

. Majorly, a long running dispute over the 

 – as Pakistan controls one third portion of Kashmir called ‘

’. After the decision was taken in June, 1947 to divide 

 into two separate states – the dominion of Pakistan and the dominion of India, it took a violent turn and about 

 in the inter-communal violence. It’s often described as the largest migration in history. The violent nature of partition paved the way for inhumane forms of large-scale violence. Families and communities were destroyed, women were targeted as symbols of community honour and thousands were abducted and raped, and many were dismembered or disfigured. Mobs targeted and killed groups of passengers who were of a different religion from their own; the trains which were left with their corpses became known as the ghost trains. And after the unforgettable nightmares of partition, India and Pakistan have fought four more wars bearing casualties on both sides.

People had learned to subdue this history and to take it as not serious. It was like, ‘Oh yeah, that thing that happened, but we don’t really talk about it’. I thought that was a problem in itself

Guneeta Singh Bhalla, founder of the 1947 Partition Archive

There are numerous other violent conflicts that continue to take place. What we fail to consider is the effect it has on the social life of the civilians – mass destruction, direct exposure to traumatic events, and sexual violence. The negative consequences these conflicts have on public health, socio-economic growth and social order have to be noticed – the lifelong emotional and mental disbalance, the guilt and the grief, the flashbacks and nightmares of those who survive after witnessing wars. The military personnel are at a higher risk of developing 

. It is an anxiety disorder developed in an individual after they experience a terrifying or traumatic event. The overall health of the people and the climate is also affected due to the toxic substances produced by the military activities.

 can be cited which puts stress on the role every human must play: “

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it

“. The world is bound to face conflicts but proper care must be taken of the innocent people, whom war leaves devastated.

Wars and Conflicts: How Humanity Suffers

 is any sort of media outlet in the form of a publication, magazine, show or news club organised by students to serve as a platform for societal discussions and a place for those interested in journalism to gain good experience and enhance their skills.

With proper guidance, student journalists can become the potential “

”. Covering stories as individual reporters to record what is often brushed aside, lay bare the misdeeds and tragedies within the student community, and focus attention on the underrepresented voices; student journalism highlights our institutions’ offerings and needed improvements. Serving academic institutions as a student-run publication opens room for informed change, accountability, and influence. Students generally feel more confident and comfortable sharing notable, newsworthy or controversial information with those they think will better understand or comprehend the data, i.e. other students. The voice of a student journalist holds unique value on a college campus. They secure numerous opportunities to acquire experience and exposure and propagate the otherwise hushed student viewpoints to be heard. Behind the walls of the institutions are the safest grounds for the student reporters to learn and grow as good journalists, additionally instilling them with self-reliance and confidence. Student journalism can potentially be the closest opportunity to real-world experience before one begins their professional career, and the journalism pursuit only further prepares them.

Instead of holding back the students from gaining experience before they step into the professional world, academic institutions should learn responsible journalism. Student publications, along with the support of the institutions, should put rigorous training programs in place to ensure that reporters understand journalistic standards and ethics. Student journalism also aids in shaping the campus climate. As such, the supervisors of the publication must include diverse voices. They should make enthusiastic efforts to hire a diversified range of reporters, editors and writers. Additionally, government bodies and public institutions should ensure that student 

publications at the university level are entitled to full press freedom protections.

Considering our own country, it is worth examining that 

. In the current conflicting environment, journalism is more divided than ever before. Education in this field is required to develop informed beliefs in future journalists and help them attain all essential skills. But this also needs a supportive administration where students can freely opine their thoughts and perspectives. There shouldn’t be any sort of pressure until they’re ethically or morally wrong. But on the contrary, student journalists face severe and grave concerns, specifically on-campus journalism, which continues to face struggles and are oppressed in various situations. The concerned authorities should also give the student press the right to cover compelling matters in the community without being censored unreasonably. The flaws, shortcomings, and the needed improvements promoting the general welfare of the students can also be best undertaken by student reporters since they are the ones most closely associated with them. They should be allowed to cover pressing matters independently without severe threats and violence.

Most students are not comfortable taking trivial issues to court or an external body outside the campus. Even the elected student bodies do not appear to succeed in solving these matters. The decision mostly favours the administration rather than the students– since the conclusion of the administration has to be abided by the council members even in the worst of scenarios. Young student reporters can play a crucial role in representing the students and their genuine grievances.

Hence, when we debate for press freedom, we should also be considering student journalists, for they play a pivotal role in the future of Indian democracy and eventually express the truth to power.

Articles by Samreen Khan

Internet Suspension in the Epoch of Technology

School Shootings and the Construction of a Cultural Discourse of Emergency

India Amidst the Sri Lankan Crisis

Wars and Conflicts: How Humanity Suffers

Student Journalism – A Hope for Ethical Media

Internet Suspension in the Epoch of Technology

School Shootings and the Construction of a Cultural Discourse of Emergency

India Amidst the Sri Lankan Crisis

Wars and Conflicts: How Humanity Suffers

Student Journalism – A Hope for Ethical Media