The Internet was shut down in Jaipur in Rajasthan, for the weekend, from 6AM on Saturday to 11.59 PM on Sunday, "to check rumours from spreading", following the instance of a traffic scuffle escalating to a conflict between police and citizens in an area, reports the Indian Express. The order has been issued by the district administration, as per the report. The Financial Express adds that the ban hasn't been lifted in its entirety: it remains for 14 of 64 police stations. According to the Internet Shutdown Tracker from the SFLC.in, there have been 5 other shutdowns in Rajasthan this year, taking the tally to 6 so far. Rajasthan has had the second highest number of Internet Shutdowns, at 13, followed by Haryana, at 10. The highest has been in Jammu & Kashmir, at 49 shutdowns so far. What's also interesting is that of the 106 shutdowns listed on the site, none have been implemented south of Maharashtra. Some points: 1. Can the district administration still order an Internet shutdown? The shutdown was ordered by a district administration, according to the Indian Express report. According to our analysis of the rules, at the state government level, the Secretary to the State Government in-charge of the Home Department can issue an order in the case of a State Government. In unavoidable circumstances, this might be issued by Joint Secretary authorised by the State Home Secretary, subject to the review of the State Home Secretary within 24 hours. So, is the process being followed? Did they…
