Supreme Court hears Centre on public order internet curbs and online safety rules

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court following contempt notices over cellular internet restrictions in New Delhi, explaining that decisive administrative action was vital to maintain peace and prevent disruption in the capital.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, Mohan clarified that there was no wilful breach of judicial directives when mobile data was halted for 24 hours between 9 October and 10 October across a four-kilometre radius around Raisina Hills. The Delhi Police sought the restriction as a proportionate, targeted safeguard to secure sensitive administrative zones during street protests.

Mohan emphasised that wired broadband and Wi-Fi networks remained fully operational throughout the period, ensuring minimal inconvenience to residents while shielding core public infrastructure from unrest. The Centre has requested the court to tailor its earlier directions to ensure law enforcement retains the operational leeway required to maintain public order through lawful, statutory channels during emerging security risks.

Digital safety and child protection

Alongside discussions on communication controls, the Supreme Court is examining robust institutional measures initiated by the Centre to eradicate child sexual exploitative and abuse material from online platforms.

Appearing for the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench that authorities have treated digital child protection as a paramount priority. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, working alongside the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, has submitted a draft Standard Operating Procedure to streamline reporting and enforce swift takedowns.

The framework establishes statutory responsibilities for social media intermediaries, requiring mandatory reporting of abusive content to the national Sahyog portal and local law enforcement under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Central regulators have already initiated enforcement proceedings against major global platforms, including a notice issued to Meta regarding non-compliant advertising, backed by recent amendments to digital media ethics rules.

Strengthening welfare delivery

Parallel administrative efforts are focused on reinforcing institutional integrity across flagship social schemes. Following findings from the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has engaged with state administrations to resolve verification gaps in pre- and post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Caste students.

Between 2017 and 2024, the central government disbursed ₹30,234.50 crore out of a total outlay of ₹52,878 crore for the two welfare programmes. To eliminate leakage and prevent duplications flagged by auditors across regional departments, central authorities are pushing state bureaucracies to complete comprehensive Action Taken Reports within a month, reinforcing direct benefit transfers linked to the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System.