“How much will they torture students?” says Union Minister Sanjay Seth on internet suspension in Jharkhand

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], September 22 (ANI): Union Minister Sanjay Seth slammed the Jharkhand government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren over the internet shutdown during the Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination for a few hours on September 21 and 22 and said that the move affected people’s daily lives.

“How much will they torture students? Neither have they given employment nor have they given any allowance. Question papers were leaked and now the internet shut down. We also have information that 31 per cent fewer students were present… Because of the internet shutdown, people weren’t able to book tickets, make payments, and use navigation,” said Sanjay Seth.

“Banks and insurance facilities were also affected… There was a time when the internet was shut down in Kashmir to stop terrorists, but now they have shut down the internet for our kids,” he added.

On Sunday, the Jharkhand High Court ordered the immediate resumption of internet services in the state. In its order, the High Court stated that merely using phrases such as “public interest,” “adequate safety of students at large,” and “ensuring a fair examination” without any factual basis is insufficient to justify shutting down internet services across the entire state. The court reiterated that it is now well established that such an action constitutes an infringement of fundamental rights enshrined under Article 19 of the Constitution of India.

Earlier, the Government of Jharkhand, in an official statement, announced that mobile internet services would be suspended across the state for over five hours on two consecutive days, beginning September 21, to prevent malpractice during the Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination (JGGLCCE).

The statement further explained that the step was taken to ensure that the examinations were conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner.

“It has been observed in previous instances that some unscrupulous individuals resorted to unfair practices using various mobile applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, X (Twitter), Telegram, and YouTube, which rely on internet/Wi-Fi connectivity,” the statement read.