After SC Order, $1.1 Billion Worth Loss, Broadband & 2G Partially Restored In Jammu & Kashmir
Prior to giving such facility, the service providers have been asked to install necessary firewalls and carry out white-listing of sites that would enable government websites and website dealing with essential services like e-banking.
In what is being seen as a slight sigh of relief, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has now allowed mobile Internet in parts of Jammu region and broadband in establishments providing essential services. The decision came days after the Supreme Court ordered a review of the curbs imposed in the Union Territory.
The order comes into effect from January 15 and shall remain in force for seven days, said a government communication issued on Tuesday night.
In the three-page order, the administration asked Internet service providers to offer broadband facility (with Mac binding) to all institutions dealing with essential services such as hospitals, banks and government offices.
Broadband internet services to be resumed in phases in #Kashmir from tonight.
¡ª Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) January 14, 2020
2G internet to be restored only on post paid mobile connection in Jammu & other four districts.
Complete restrictions on social media sites.
The order effective shall remain in force for 07 days. pic.twitter.com/rdvCewtNHN
In order to facilitate tourism, the broadband Internet services would be provided to hotels and tour and travel establishments, the order said.
Mac Binding essentially means to enforce a client machine to work from a particular Internet Protocol address.
"Prior to giving such facility, the service providers have been asked to install necessary firewalls and carry out white-listing of sites that would enable government websites and website dealing with essential services like e-banking," the order said.
However, all social media sites remain out of bounds.
"There shall be complete restrictions on social media applications allowing peer-to-peer communication and virtual private network applications for the time being," the order said.
The institutions and government offices that are being provided Internet access shall be responsible to prevent misuse, according to the order.
It said the 2G mobile connectivity on post-paid mobiles for accessing white-listed websites including e-banking will be allowed in districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi -- all in the Jammu region.
The order said that the police has brought material relating to the terror modules operating in Jammu and Kashmir including handlers from across the border who are attempting to aid and incite people by the transmission of fake news and targeted messages through the use of the Internet.
The relaxation came days after the Supreme Court said access to the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution.
India #Rights2020: The Modi government continued its widespread practice of harassing human rights defenders and journalists in 2019.
¡ª Human Rights Watch (@hrw) January 15, 2020
1000's of Kashmiris were detained without charge and the Internet and phones were shut down in Jammu and Kashmir. https://t.co/ybm8zODa6g pic.twitter.com/KUwxLNluqK
The SC verdict had come on Friday on a batch of pleas challenging the curbs imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre's abrogation of provisions of Article 370 on August 5 last year.
The court had also asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review within a week all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory.
It had asked the J-K administration to restore Internet services in institutions such as hospitals and educational places providing essential services.
The J-K administration's Tuesday communication said that in view of the Supreme Court directions, the situation has been reviewed and the Internet has been opened wherever it was possible keeping in view the security consideration.
In Kashmir, 400 additional Internet kiosks will be established, besides the 900 terminals which are already operational in the Valley.
According to one research, the shutdowns that the valley has been seeing since the month of August -- after the abrogation of Section 370, stripping the state from its special status -- cost the nation a whopping $1.1 billion in losses.
More than five months after the internet services were suspended in Jammu and Kashmir the Supreme Court had said that the move was unconstitutional on January 10.
A Supreme Court bench of Justice N V Ramana, Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice B R Gavai said that internet services are intrinsic to right to free speech and cannot be suspended without providing reason and duration.