An Observation : IT Act 66A , Social Media and Fundamental Rights

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Though the penetration of internet  in India  is lower  when  compared with other countries,  Internet is very necessary  for  speedy responses with international  marketing  system  as well as  the merging  of the cultural  and  economic  straddles. Indian constitution is the law of the land and when IT Act 66A is concerned, there emerges certain questions. The responses  generated  through  an electronic  media  can be considered  as just an exercising of someone’s liberty and  is there  any  need to connect  it with cyber  warfare or cyber terrorism?

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The internet  penetration  have wide impacts when the development  of our India  is concerned because,  it  coupled the government  to merge various  programmes with information  technology  in rural  areas,  it can enhance  transparency  in the implementation  process  of various  schemes and it made the participation  of  people  enhanced  in the  process  and   of governmental activities  in a great  deal.  Thus we need  a system  in which  internet penetration  should  be encouraged and  thus it can use it for spending our valuable  money  in a productive  pace because  the  absence  of  transparency often  road to  corruption. Through  embracing  internet in all sectors ,  we can  enhance  their participations, it can make them  aware of their  role in implementing  our goals.

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Through enhancing such penetration, the distortions in our public distribution system can be reduced.  The encouragement of internet as well as information technology related straddles more with our public distribution system, we can enhance proper targeting. Thus we need  to link our unique  identity  system  with our public  distribution  system  and various  subsidies,  we can  escalate  our subsidy  system in a more targeted way and it can reduce  distortions. 

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Through  such a way , government  can reduce  subsidy burdens  because  through  proper  targeting, the people  who don’t need those schemes, shall  be excluded . For implementing  such  measures  perfectly,  we should  enhance  our internet penetration  in a great pace .Through  enhancing the measures  of internet, the people  get more oriented  with government  policies  and programmes. The impacts of speedy   responses can create an environment of transparency. The internet penetration  can enhance  the nurturing  of good western values  in India,  it can help  to eradicate the evil practices  in Indian  society and  the empowerment  of women  can be achieved  in a faster pace.

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It is inevitable for a person to achieve maximum potential in his activities and thus the framers of the constitution made certain enforceable mechanisms. Thus we will have to keep a balance between the fundamental rights and the Internet penetration, the penetration in all sectors should be encouraged. While  implementing  such measures  ,  government  have to enhance  the measures  to protect  websites  from leaking  information as well  as cyber warfare  should  be prevented. A proper  check  and balance  between  social  networking  sites and fundamental  rights  are  mentioned  properly with an amendment   and    government have to do much more to enhance  Internet penetration.

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What is the relationship with article 19 and IT act 66A?  The relationship  always  create clashes because in the modern  communication  scenario,  the right  to expression  shall be considered  as an extension of the same right in the virtual world and the responses by the government  implies the same and  it became  evident  by the twitter  case very recently. The such uses of internet regarding  terrorism  can emanate the spreading  of the ideologies of the terrorists  groups,  it can make an apt situation  for recruitment,  it can create a situation  in which the people  and sections  who are prone to such warfare can be twisted etc. Thus  activities  of terrorism  got special  dimensions  with the spread  of internet  and social  medias.  

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Thus we have to adapt our laws (especially IT act section 66 A) with a pace in which both the fundamental rights and our activities against terrorism and hate shall not be clashed and at the same time cyber terrorism should be prevented properly. Penetration of internet shall be promoted and at the same time proper monitoring of social networking sites are very much necessary.

What do you think about IT act 66A?Is it against the human intellectual rights?How?

How social networking sites/groups are becoming a source of terror spreading/hate mongering etc? How it can be prevented?

What should be done to make Internet world a better place and a good thing for humanity?

(Written by Vineeth V, an IPS aspirant pursuing graduation in Political Science at Trivandrum, Kerala)

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