Free and open Internet stimulates ISP competition, helps prevent unfair pricing practices, drives entrepreneurship and most importantly protects freedom of speech. Vibrant Netizens added to the force of conscious civil society, which together is the ‘Fifth Estate’ that can question happenings in the Three Estates and in so-called ‘Fourth Estate’ – the Media When space…
While Congress and other opposition parties have shouted themselves hoarse on the decision of IIT, Madras banning a student group — Ambedkar Periyar Student Circle — for allegedly spreading hatred against the prime minister and his government, Republican Party of India (A), an ally of the BJP, has now voiced its concern over the issue.…
We agree with Lawrence Solomon (Pussyfooting in China, 21 May 2015) that there are serious challenges to freedom of expression in China. That’s why, the same day that we released our report on free speech in India, PEN America released a report on politically motivated censorship in China, the second PEN report on China in…
Freedom of speech cannot be curtailed in centres of learning. Students have the right to criticize, but the freedom should not stoop to the level of derogatory remarks against a person,” said Kerala Technological University vice-chancellor Kuncheria P Isaac. He was speaking against the ban imposed on a student group at IIT-Madras for criticizing Prime…
The ban on a student group by IIT Madras, allegedly after an anonymous complaint to the Central government, has ignited a political storm all over India, targeting HRD Minister Smriti Irani. The Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, a group of around 20 students, was accused in the complaint of trying to “spread hatred” towards PM Narendra…
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) supports the launch of the online cartoon magazine Black and White: Strokes of Resistance (B&W) by the Indian cartoonist Aseem Trivedi and hails his campaign for the release of the jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, which is highlighted in the first issue. In January this year, Trivedi announced he planned to…