Media and Internet Censorship in India: A Study of its History and Political-Economy

The Indian Constitution, which came into force on January 26, 1950, guarantees various fundamental rights, such as the freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, rights to form association, as well as rights to privacy. Yet, since the adoption of the Constitution, the Indian citizen has been subject to varying degrees of media censorship and surveillance. This paper seeks to delve into the historical evolution of media and Internet censorship and surveillance in India. It shows how media censorship of varying types have existed since the British colonists introduced restrictive laws in order to expand and control the native populations. Upon independence, these laws perpetuated the interests of India’s new leaders, who have continued building upon the colonial era laws. All governments have used these laws to capture and hold on to power. This paper provides a qualitative analysis of the history and political economy of 200 years of media (and more recently, Internet) censorship and surveillance in India, the laws that enable them, their political and social history, methods of implementation, and legal, economic, and social ramifications. The paper concludes by offering some remedies.