Since 2018, India has shut down the internet more times than any other country affecting over 120 million people. However, this trend began to emerge in 2014, coinciding with the rise of the ruling party, BJP. In 2022 alone, it shut down the internet for as many as 84 times, nearly 4 times more than Ukraine, where disruption was implemented by external forces such as Russia.

For the 127 shutdowns that happened in India between 2020 and 2022, the local authorities pointed out different reasons. The most common, is to prevent or in response to protests, followed by shutdowns as a measure to prevent cheating in examinations. They were also used in response to communal violence and other law and order concerns. When the shutdowns occur for safety reasons, they can last for long periods of time, like in Jammu and Kashmir case. Others, like the internet blackouts during exams, are short-term shutdowns.

Therearemany reasons why online blackouts are not a good idea. First of all, it simply doesn’t work and could be counterproductive. Second, arbitrary internet shutdowns also put India’s democracy under question. Third, the economic losses are tremendous. And last but not least, internet shutdowns could have a severe impact on people’s mental health.

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