India has been witnessing violent protests, especially since August when the Narendra Modi-led NDA government announced abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the very recent Citizenship (Amendment) Act, following which the government has resorted to internet shutdown to prevent further violence and rumour-mongering.
According to internetshutdowns.in, which tracks incidents of Internet shutdowns across India, a total of 357 instances of internet shutdowns have taken place in India since 2014.
The longest shutdown ever to have been witnessed by India is currently in place in Jammu and Kashmir. An internet shutdown was imposed on 4th August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir and suspension of mobile internet continues in the Valley even today. It has been 136 days and counting.
Also read: Citizenship Amendment Act protest: Shoot protesters at sight, says Railways MoS Suresh Angadi
As many as six internet shutdowns were witnessed in 2014 which rose to 14 in 2015. The incidents further increased to 31 in 2016 and 79 in 2017. A spike in the number of such incidents were witnessed in 2018, when the number of internet shutdowns reached 134.
By December 15, 2019, there have been 93 incidents of internet shutdowns in India.
India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) analysed the internet shutdowns and found that the two major reasons behind internet shutdown have been terror activities and communal tensions.
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