Truth Pro Foundation India, a non-governmental organisation that operates Kannada news portal Pratidhvani, has challenged the government's Information Technology Rules, 2021 which brings digital news and current affairs publishers under regulation. Filed in the Karnataka High Court, the the Foundation's petition argues that the new rules are ultra vires (beyond the scope) to the parent IT Act, 2000, since it sets up classification of new entities, that is, news and current affairs publishers. Shivakumar Siddappa, the director of the Truth Pro Foundation India, filed the petition on the Foundation's behalf in March. Siddappa pleaded for a stay on the IT Rules 2021, insofar as they define and apply to publishers of news and current affairs content. The petition asks for the provisions to be declared unconstitutional and ultra vires to the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. On March 31, the Karnataka…
