552 days

Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir

Aug. 4, 2019 - Feb. 6, 2021

An internet shutdown was imposed in the evening of 4th August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated by the Parliament of India. It was passed by the Presidential order number 272 dated August 5, 2019. The State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This was a preventive …

An internet shutdown was imposed in the evening of 4th August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated by the Parliament of India. It was passed by the Presidential order number 272 dated August 5, 2019. The State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This was a preventive shutdown imposed in the state which is yet to be lifted entirely. The shutdown in Kargil was lifted on December 2019 but continued in other parts of the union territory. The beginning of the communication blockade saw the restriction of landlines as well as mobile services. The ban on landlines was lifted but suspension of mobile internet continued in the valley. In January 2020, 2G services were restored in the valley for verified users. Only whitelisted websites could be accessed and social media remains prohibited. The services were snapped again the same day on account of security concerns for Republic Day. 2G services for whitelisted websites were later restored in January 2020 at 4 PM. On March 2020, a new order was passed by the administration of J&K which stated that while the whitelist was to be removed, the internet could only be accessed using 2G on verified SIMs. Post that, 4G connection was available only in 2 districts Ganderbal and Udampur The erstwhile state regained 4G connection on February 6th 2021 after 552 days of no to low internet.

Read more

200 days

Throughout the State, Manipur

April 27, 2023 - Oct. 18, 2023

An internet shutdown was imposed in the entire State of Manipur on May 3rd, 2023. This shutdown was an extension from two districts Churachandpur and Pherzawl, where internet shutdown had already begun on April 28th, 2023. The Statewide Shutdown was enforced after violence broke out following communal clashes in the state of Manipur. The internet shutdown in Manipur is the …

An internet shutdown was imposed in the entire State of Manipur on May 3rd, 2023. This shutdown was an extension from two districts Churachandpur and Pherzawl, where internet shutdown had already begun on April 28th, 2023. The Statewide Shutdown was enforced after violence broke out following communal clashes in the state of Manipur. The internet shutdown in Manipur is the longest North-East as seen so far and it is also the longest lockdown in the year 2023, making it the longest shutdown outside of the State of Kashmir. At present, Manipur has been under internet shutdown for more than 200 days, with the blanket shutdown lifting only for 3 days on September 23rd, 2023, and for restrictions being placed on mobile internet and communication services again on September 26th, 2023. While the broadband services were allowed, more than 96% of the population did not have access to the Internet as less than 4% of the population in the country has access to broadband services. The government in its attempt to justify mass internet shutdown, expressed that the shutdowns are put in place “to thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony… by stopping the spread of misinformation and false rumours through various social media platforms…”. In the interest of public good, the Hon’ble High Court of Manipur finally intervened after a spate of hearings, and through its order dated July 7th, 2023, directed the Government of Manipur to restore the internet in a limited fashion. The Court directed the Government to reinstate Internet service through broadband connections while keeping certain safeguards in place. The order further directed the State Government to conduct a survey and whitelist select new mobile numbers to restore communication services. As of December 3rd, 2023, the Government of Manipur brought much needed relief to the affected citizens by revoking the internet shutdown orders in the areas not affected by violence. The order also stated that going forward, the internet shutdown will take place only in the areas directly affected by violence. This order came as a sigh of relief to the people of Manipur were not only facing difficulties in connecting to the rest of the world but were also pushed back half a century on several financial and health concerns in this digital age. As of December 3rd, 2023, the state of Manipur has come out of complete internet darkness and has put an end to the longest internet shutdown to take place in the year 2023. To read more about the Internet Shutdown Crisis in Manipur, please follow the link to read our explainer blog. https://internetshutdowns.in/blog/trend-long-internet-shutdowns-india-manipur-crisis/

Read more

145 days

Kargil, Ladakh

Aug. 4, 2019 - Dec. 27, 2019

Kargil district of Ladakh faced a shutdown of 145 days, which was imposed since August 2019 on the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. The shutdown was imposed alongside the suspension of all landlines, mobiles and SMS communication as a preventive measure in the wake of the abrogation of article 370. It was lifted on December 2019 in the district, …

Kargil district of Ladakh faced a shutdown of 145 days, which was imposed since August 2019 on the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. The shutdown was imposed alongside the suspension of all landlines, mobiles and SMS communication as a preventive measure in the wake of the abrogation of article 370. It was lifted on December 2019 in the district, but it continues in other parts of the erstwhile State.

Read more