Govt clears consideration of private member’s Bill on free internet

New Delhi: The government has cleared the consideration of a private member’s Bill that seeks to grant every citizen the right to free internet access while ensuring equal access to people from backward and remote regions of the country.

“No citizen shall be liable to pay any kind of fee or charges or expenses which may prevent him or her from accessing internet facilities,” the Bill has proposed.

While the Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by CPI(M) member V Sivadasan in December 2023, according to a bulletin issued by the Upper House of Parliament, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has communicated to the Rajya Sabha secretary-general that the president has recommended the consideration of the Bill to the House.

The Bill states that every citizen shall have the right to free internet access and the appropriate government shall, while ensuring universal access to the internet to all citizens, take special measures to ensure that the citizens who belong to the backward and remote regions of the country are provided equal access to the internet.

Meanwhile, the Private Members’ Bills listed in Rajya Sabha for the upcoming Monsoon Session include one that seeks prohibition on holders of constitutional posts, like judges, joining a political party post retirement, a few bills on artificial intelligence and deepfake, as well as one on amending the citizenship law.

In all, 23 Private Members’ Bills have been listed for introduction in the upcoming session in the Upper House.

The Constitution (amendment) Bill, 2024 (amendment of articles 124, 148, 319 and 324 and insertion of new articles 220A and 309A), listed by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP AD Singh, seeks to bar those retiring from Constitutional posts, like judges and former election commissioners from joining political parties post retirement, a source said.