Internet Shutdown and Democratic Governance in India

Laishram Pratima Chanu

Internet, shutdown, Democracy, Governance, India

Internet Shutdown and Democratic governance in India Abstract The Internet has become an indispensable part of our daily life in the World of 21st century. Anything happening in our world can be related to the internet, whether it is development, education, marketing, business, healthcare, etc. India is the largest democracy in the world which is known for its diverse culture and tradition. The constitution of India gives fundamental and human rights regarding free speech, freedom of the media, freedom of expression, Right to information, etc. which signifies features of democratic government. But, sometimes, the government ends up deliberately blocking the use of the internet by the citizens to maintain law and order and stop the spread of hate speech in case of an ethnic crisis or any other issues. The problem arises is that India witnessed 84 internet shutdowns in 2024 which is the 2nd highest in the world. Internet shutdown is an intentional disruption of internet communications for a specific population or within a location for any time of duration of time often to exert control over the flow of information. On this note, this paper is an attempt to explore the impacts of internet shutdown to the common people as well as the student communities of Manipur. The study used both primary and secondary sources. This paper uses a qualitative method based on a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The people of Manipur experienced various episodes of internet shutdown as ethnic conflict is still going on. This article talks about the direct and indirect impact of the internet shutdown on the student community of Manipur. The study finds that an Internet shutdown is a direct violation of the right to life and other fundamental rights. It impacts directly and indirectly on healthcare, the economy, business, education, and many other areas. The study recommends that internet shutdowns should be a last resort while keeping in mind the welfare of common people and should be kept minimal. Keywords- Internet, Shutdown, Governance, Democracy, Corresponding Author- Laishram Pratima Chanu Senior research Fellow Political Science Department Manipur university laishrampratimachanu@gmail.com 9774244571

Volume 14 Issue 1, January-2026

Pages : b907-b913