{"id":108599,"date":"2024-05-17T21:50:30","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T16:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=108599"},"modified":"2024-05-18T15:31:49","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T10:01:49","slug":"internet-shutdowns-report","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/internet-shutdowns-report","title":{"rendered":"Internet Shutdowns Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2023, India had the most<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/internet-shutdown-in-india\/#:~:text=Economic%20Loss%3A%20India's%20Internet%20restrictions,shutdown%20capital%20of%20the%20world.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">internet shutdowns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the world for the 6th year in a row (116 out of 283 globally).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Internet Shutdowns Report<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes up over 40% of all internet shutdowns worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This result has been declared according to data analyzed by <\/span><b>Access Now.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access now is\u00a0 a not-for-profit group that focuses on digital rights.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Internet shutdown in 2016:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has had a total of 773 internet shutdowns since 2016, which is more than half (53%) of all shutdowns tracked during that time.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There has been a significant rise in internet shutdowns globally, with a 41% increase from 2022 to 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>About Internet Shutdown<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A complete restriction on the use of internet services imposed by a government order.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.1%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Provisions related to internet shutdown<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This section empowers central government and state government for lawful interception in the interests of the sovereignty, and integrity of India.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Read with Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency and Public Safety) Rules, 2017:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This provision allows the union or state home secretary to suspend telegraph services.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">For example: The internet service, during a public emergency or for public safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The suspension of telegraph services cannot exceed 15 days.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This provision gives power to district magistrates, sub-divisional magistrates, and potentially other officials designated by the state government to issue orders to stop nuisance that creates\u00a0 trouble or disrupt\u00a0 public peace.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The orders may include suspension of internet services in\u00a0 a specified region for a set amount of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Violation of rights due to internet shutdown<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(1)(g): The shutdown of the internet violates fundamental rights of Indians.\u00a0<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Freedom of Speech and Expression (Article 19(1)(a)) :<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In Anuradha Bhasin case, 2020, SP recognised that internet access is crucial for freedom of speech and expression.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to Practice a Profession (Article 19(1)(g)): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The internet plays major role for professionals so shutting down the internet can violate the right to practice a profession through the internet.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to Information (Article 19) : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every Indian has the right to get information and for it, the availability of internet access is important. If the Internet is shut down, it can limit India&#8217;s ability to get information.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to Internet (Article 21)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> :\u00a0 The Kerala High Court has accepted internet access as a fundamental right under the<\/span><b> right to life and liberty.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Scope and Duration<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Geographical Limitation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can be confined to a specific area.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Time Frame: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can be set for a specific period, time, or number of days.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Indefinite Extension: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the shutdown may extend indefinitely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Types of Internet Services Affected<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Mobile Internet: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Includes internet services used on smartphones.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Wired Broadband: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Covers the broadband connections typically used on desktops.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Combined Shutdown: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can affect both mobile internet and wired broadband simultaneously.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Key findings of the Internet Shutdowns Report<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108748 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d.webp\" alt=\"Internet Shutdowns Report\" width=\"451\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d.webp 1800w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d-300x207.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d-1024x707.webp 1024w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d-768x530.webp 768w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d-1536x1060.webp 1536w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113834226-1-66487b16ecc9d-1568x1082.webp 1568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Economic and Social Impact of Internet Shutdowns in India<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Economic Impact: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internet shutdowns have a significant negative impact on the Indian economy.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report estimates that shutdowns in the first half of 2023 alone cost the country $1.9 billion and resulted in a loss of $118 million in foreign investment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Job Losses: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A single-day internet shutdown can lead to unemployment for up to 379 people, according to the report&#8217;s citation of the Internet Society&#8217;s NetLoss Calculator.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Impact of shutdown:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, many shutdowns affected large areas. 64 shutdowns impacted more than one district in 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108749 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9.webp\" alt=\"Internet Shutdowns Report\" width=\"452\" height=\"226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9.webp 2000w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9-300x150.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9-1024x512.webp 1024w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9-768x384.webp 768w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9-1536x768.webp 1536w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113839047-1-66487b13df4e9-1568x784.webp 1568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><span style=\"background-color: var(--global--color-background); color: var(--global--color-primary); font-family: var(--global--font-secondary); font-size: var(--global--font-size-base);\">The high number of multi-district shutdowns in March can be attributed to two specific events:<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The state-wide shutdown in Punjab.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The frequent, recurring shutdowns in Manipur (47 instances).<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A particularly severe case was Manipur, which experienced a 212-day internet shutdown (with a brief interruption) from May to December 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Impact on Women: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report highlights that internet shutdowns disproportionately affect women.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limited internet access makes it harder for women to document human rights abuses, including violence against them, hindering efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Geographic Scope and Trends of Internet Shutdowns<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-108750 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe.webp\" alt=\"Internet Shutdowns Report\" width=\"450\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe.webp 2000w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe-300x270.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe-1024x922.webp 1024w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe-768x691.webp 768w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe-1536x1382.webp 1536w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/untitled-2024-05-18t113844144-1-66487b0f9c4fe-1568x1411.webp 1568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increased Frequency and Duration: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Internet shutdowns in India became more frequent and longer-lasting in 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of states experiencing more than five shutdowns rose from 3 to 7, and the percentage of shutdowns lasting over five days jumped from 15% to 41%.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Wider Geographic Impact: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local or statewide internet shutdowns occurred in 13 Indian states in 2023, highlighting a broader geographic reach compared to previous years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Global Comparison: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While India leads in internet shutdowns, other countries were also affected.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Myanmar (37) and Iran (34) had the second and third highest numbers of shutdowns in 2023. A total of 39 countries experienced internet restrictions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><b>External Actors and Conflict:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The report raised concerns about external actors using internet shutdowns as a tool during conflicts.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Palestine and Ukraine, facing border conflicts, witnessed shutdowns imposed by external parties, unlike other countries where the government itself ordered restrictions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Reasons for Internet Shutdowns and Platform Blocking<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reasons for Shutdowns: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report has identified various reasons for internet shutdowns across the globe including India:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.218%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 76.0246%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Reason for internet shutdown<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 114.608%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Count<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 76.0246%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Conflicts (across 9 countries)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 114.608%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>74<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 76.0246%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Protests (across 15 countries)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 114.608%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>63<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 76.0246%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Exam Cheating (across 6 countries)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 114.608%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>12<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 76.0246%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>Natural Disasters (across 4 countries)<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 114.608%; text-align: left; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><b>4<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conflicts (74 instances across 9<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">countries, including India)Protests (63 instances across 15 countries)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preventing cheating in exams (12 instances across 6 countries, including India)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emerging reasons like natural disasters (4 instances across 4 countries)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Internet Shutdowns and Human Rights Abuses: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report reveals a concerning link between internet shutdowns and human rights violations.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least 51 shutdowns in 11 countries (including Iran, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, and Sudan) coincided with documented human rights abuses.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Global Platform Blocking Trends<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increase in Platform Blocking: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report indicated\u00a0 a rise in platform blocking globally.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of blocked platforms increased by 35.6%, from 39 blocks in 29 countries (2022) to 53 blocks in 25 countries (2023).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Facebook Most Blocked Platform: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook was the most blocked platform globally in 2023, with restrictions occurring 23 times across 11 countries<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Grindr Second Most Blocked: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grindr, a messaging platform primarily used by the LGBTQ+ community, was the second most blocked platform, facing restrictions in all 12 countries where data was available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Other Blocked Platforms: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other major platforms like Twitter (21 times in 10 countries), WhatsApp (19 times in 9 countries), and YouTube (17 times in 7 countries) were also subject to blocking by governments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Undercounting of Blocked Platforms: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report acknowledges limitations in capturing the full picture of platform blocking. Factors like localized platform preferences, limited data in countries with smaller user bases, inconsistent government implementation, and the use of VPNs can contribute to undercounting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8434%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 36px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 4926.83%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 36px;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/ncert-notes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NCERT Notes For UPSC<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4872.33%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/blogs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Blogs<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4872.33%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4872.33%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Main Answer Writing<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-previous-year-papers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 4872.33%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Test Series 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Internet shutdowns have a significant negative impact on the Indian economy. The Internet Shutdowns Report estimates that shutdowns in the first half of 2023 alone cost the country $1.9 billion and resulted in a loss of $118 million in foreign investment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":108718,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2089],"subject":[2100],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/108599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108599"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/108599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108755,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/108599\/revisions\/108755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108599"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=108599"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=108599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}