The Supreme Court on Friday held that access to Internet is a fundamental right as it asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review within a week all orders imposing curbs in the Union Territory. A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana asked the J&K administration to restore Internet services to facilitate e-banking and trade as it ordered a periodic review of decisions. Here are top developments from the SC verdict that came on a batch of pleas which challenged curbs imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the Centre's abrogation of provisions of Article 370 on August 5 last year.
The court said internet services are intrinsic to the right to free of speech and cannot be suspended without providing reason and duration.
The government should review within seven days all orders directing suspension of internet services.
The Court ordered the restoration of all government and local body websites where abuses of internet is minimal.
The apex court also ordered the J&K adiministration to restore internet services in all institutions providing essentail services like hospitals and educational centres.
The SC said mere expression of dissent or disagreement against a government decision cannot be a reason for internet suspension.
Whenever the government decides to suspend the internet, it must give a detailed reason for the decision to allow aggrieved person to challenge it in an appropriate court.