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In India, a mobile internet shutdown may be ordered by the Union Home Secretary for the Central Government or by the secretary in charge of a State Government’s Home Department. The current framework is the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, which require written reasons, publication, a defined area and service, a time limit, consideration of alternatives and review.

Who has authority to order a shutdown?

The 2024 Rules name the competent authority as the Union Home Secretary for the Central Government and the secretary in charge of the Home Department for a State Government. That means a state government can order a suspension under the rules through its designated Home Department secretary; the rules do not give that power to any state official or police officer generally.

The Rules govern temporary suspension of a telecommunication service or class of services. They were notified by the Department of Telecommunications on 22 November 2024 and came into force upon publication. The relevant provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, including section 20, had come into force on 26 June 2024. Read the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 and the government’s notice on commencement of the Telecommunications Act.

What must a suspension order contain?

The order must be published and record its reasons in writing. It must identify the telecommunication service or class of services affected, define the geographical area and specify how long the suspension will last. Before issuing it, the authority must consider whether the objectives under section 20 of the Act can be achieved by another reasonable means. These requirements are set out in the 2024 Rules.

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When examining a particular order, check the following items against the published text:

  • Who issued it, and whether that person is the competent authority or an authorized emergency substitute.
  • The written reasons and whether the order addresses reasonable alternatives.
  • The specified service, geographic boundaries and duration.
  • Whether it was published and sent for review within the required time.

How long can a shutdown last, and what happens in an emergency?

An order under the 2024 Rules must specify a duration of no more than 15 days. The authority cannot leave the order open-ended under this rule.

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If unavoidable circumstances prevent the competent authority from issuing the order, an officer authorized by it and not below the rank of Joint Secretary may issue one. The competent authority must confirm that order within 24 hours; without confirmation, it ceases to exist. This confirmation deadline is separate from the review-committee deadline.

How is an order reviewed?

A copy of every suspension order must be forwarded to the relevant review committee within 24 hours of issuance. The committee must meet within five days and record whether the order complies with section 20(2)(b) and section 20(4) of the Telecommunications Act. If the committee finds that it does not comply, it may set the order aside. The committee’s role and timetable are prescribed by the 2024 Rules.

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Level Review committee composition
Central Government Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, with the Secretary of the Department of Legal Affairs and the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications.
State Government Chaired by the Chief Secretary, with the State’s Secretary of Law or Legal Remembrancer in charge of legal affairs and a State Government secretary other than the Home Secretary.

Do shutdowns always cut off calls and SMS?

No. A shutdown order can cover a specified telecommunication service or class of services; it does not necessarily suspend every form of communication. In a February 2026 answer to Parliament, the Department of Telecommunications said that generally, internet services are suspended in a region while voice calling and SMS remain available for communication and emergency access. That is the government’s general description, not a guarantee about what every individual order will leave working. See the Department of Telecommunications’ Lok Sabha answer of 4 February 2026.

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Are the 2017 rules still in force?

No: the 2024 Rules superseded the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017. However, an order made under the 2017 Rules remains governed by its terms until its stated expiry. For a new order, the applicable framework is the 2024 Rules.

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A 2021 Standing Committee report discussed the earlier regime and recommended clearer parameters for public emergency and public safety, broader review, selective restrictions on particular services where practicable, and studies of shutdowns’ effects and effectiveness. Those were recommendations in the report, not additional requirements automatically written into the 2024 Rules. Read the Standing Committee report summary.

Where can readers find shutdown records and official figures?

Central government records do not provide a complete register of state and Union Territory suspension orders. In an answer to the Rajya Sabha on 7 August 2025, the Department of Telecommunications said it does not centrally maintain details of orders issued by State Governments and Union Territories, citing police and public order as State subjects. It also said permissions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for temporary suspensions are available on the MHA website. Read the Department’s Rajya Sabha answer.

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In a separate answer on 4 February 2026, the Department said it had no data on financial losses due to internet shutdowns for the five-year period asked about. This describes the Department’s records; it does not establish that no estimates by other organizations exist. The parliamentary answers cited here do not provide a complete official national shutdown count, so any count should be accompanied by its dated source and an explanation of what it covers and how it was compiled. Read the Lok Sabha answer on losses.

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