Punjab Govt: Block Wikipedia page
By Bala Shah

Bangalore based The Centre for Internet and Society describes its vision and mission to ‘critically engage with concerns of digital pluralism, public accountability and pedagogic practices, in the field of Internet and Society, with particular emphasis on South - South dialogues and exchange’. CIS filed a RTI with the Govt of India and had scooped the list of banned websites

After scooping the list of banned websites in April, 2011 (Techgoss article on it republished below),  the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)’s Pranesh Prakash filed a follow up RTI request with the Department of Information Technology (DIT) to get even more details on how and why websites are blocked in India.  CIS has published the details and it makes for interesting reading.

The Mumbai Police have made most of the requests to ban specific websites and blogs. Tamil Nadu, AP, Punjab are other States that have requested blocking of sites.  Most of the Indian States have not asked for a single site to be blocked by Indian Telecom companies.

Some highlights of the RTI results about sites which were not blocked despite State Government requests. In Aug, 2010, the Principal Secretary to the Govt of Punjab asked for the blocking of the Wikipedia page of prominent politician Sukhbir Singh Badal.  This page is still accessible.

Mumbai Police put in a request to the Central Government to ban Betfair.com which was denied.

Tamil Nadu Secretary Public (Law & Order) asked for the ban on Tamil.net.in

In July, 2010, the Principal Secretary, IT Department, Chennai asked for the blocking of blog ofulaginazhagiyamuthalpenn.  The blog is still online and published by Leena Manimekalai whose profile describes her as ‘A poet, actor and filmmaker. My collections of poems are ‘Ottrailaiyena’ (solo, as a lone leaf), ‘Ulakin Azhakiya Muthal Penn’ (The first beautiful woman in the world) and Parathaiyarul Raani(Queen of Sluts). I have currently taken up a visual art fellowship with PSBT on Tamil Women Poetry and Desire through the ages of Sangam, Medieval and Modern periods. My specialisation is on Media and Conflict resolution and I had been an EU Scholar in art practice. My films include Mathamma, Parai, Break the Shackles, Love Lost, Altar, Waves after Waves, Connecting Lines, A Hole in the Bucket, Goddesses. I have just completed my debut feature fiction called ‘Sengadal'. I live in Chennai.”

(Techgoss had published the following in April 9, 2011)

Eleven websites banned by India
By Bala Shah

Bangalore based The Centre for Internet and Society describes its vision and mission to ‘critically engage with concerns of digital pluralism, public accountability and pedagogic practices, in the field of Internet and Society, with particular emphasis on South - South dialogues and exchange’. CIS filed a RTI with the Govt of India and has scooped the list of banned websites.

The Centre of Internet Society (CIS)’s Pranesh Prakash filed an RTI with the Department of Information Technology (DIT) to source this previously secret information.  CIS has eloquently and thoroughly analyzed the implications of these blocks, as well as the shortcomings of the DIT's response.

The eleven websites that the DIT acknowledges are blocked in India are:

1.www.zone-h.org
2.donotdial100.webs.com
3.www.bloggernews.net/124029
[accessible from Tata DSL, but not from others like Reliance Broadband and BSNL Broadband]
4.www.google.co.in/#h1=en&source=hp&biw=1276&bih=843&=dr+babasaheb+ambedk
 ar+wallpaper&aq=4&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=dr+babas&gs_rfai=&fp=e791fe993fa412ba
5.www.cinemahd.net/desktop-enhancements/wallpaper/23945-wallpapers-beautiful-girl-
 wallpaper.html
6.www.chakpak.com/find/images/kamasutra-hindi-movie
7.www.submitlink.khatana.net/2010/09/jennifer-stano-is-engaged-to.html
8.www.result.khatana.net/2010/11/im-no-panty-girl-yana-gupta-wardrobe.html
9.www.facebook.com/pages/l-Hate-Ambedkar/172025102828076
10.www.indybay.org
11.arizona.indymedia.org