Rush Hour: India imposed 84 web shutdowns in 2024, BJP leader in custody in hate speech case & more

India imposed 84 internet shutdowns in 2024, the second-highest globally after Myanmar’s 85, digital rights organisation Access Now has said in a new report. While India was not the worst offender for the first time since 2018, it still saw widespread blackouts, with Manipur recording the most at 21, followed by Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir with 12 each.

Of these, 41 were linked to protests and 23 to communal violence. Internet suspensions were also enforced during exams and elections. Globally, 296 shutdowns were reported across 54 countries, marking a record high. Shutdowns continued into 2025 in 47 instances, with 35 lasting over a year. Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, Palestine and Bangladesh also imposed several internet shutdowns in 2024, the report said. Read on.

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court challenging Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s remarks on halal certification during a hearing in a case pertaining to Uttar Pradesh’s ban on halal-certified products. The trust argued that Mehta’s claim of halal certifiers making “few lakh crores” was misleading and had fueled negative media narratives.

It asserted that halal certification is a matter of religious freedom under the Constitution and is not limited to non-vegetarian products. The trust also provided financial records...

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