Assam: PIL filed in Gauhati HC against Government’s decision to shut down internet

A social worker from Guwahati has filed a petition in Gauhati High Court challenging the decision of the Assam Government to shut down the Internet on August 28 & September 11 for the Grade III & IV exam.

The social worker, identified as Raju Prakash Sarma, filed a writ petition in this regard. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) on Tuesday in a tweet said it assisted Sarma in filing the writ petition.

On August 21, recruitment examinations for Grades III and IV were being held. To stop candidates from cheating, the state authorities shut down mobile internet access near the exam centres across 25 districts. Around 14 lakh candidates have registered for the government’s recruitment exam.

The administration had earlier declared that districts hosting the exams will have no mobile internet access for four hours. It stated that it did not want any examination-related errors that would cast doubt on the recruitment process's objectivity. It continued by saying that in order to undertake impartial and open tests, it had opted plug all possible loopholes, including temporarily turning off mobile internet services near the exam centres.

The Assam Government had said that on August 28, mobile internet services would be suspended from 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm.

The first phase of the recruitment exam was held on August 21 and the next two phases would be held on August 28 and September 11.