We are organising a discussion on ‘IT Rules and the Future of Online Speech in India’, in Delhi on April 23, 2026. Join us to discuss the impact and implications of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, with a diverse set of speakers and perspectives covering victims of censorship, lawyers, media professionals, and policy makers, along with networking with a curated group working on tech policy in India. 

We have received 155 registrations for in-person attendance, along with 65 registrations for virtual participation. Registrations will close at 5 PM on April 22, 2026. Register below if you haven’t already.

Register here (for in-person attendance) | Zoom link (for virtual participation)

Note: The Zoom link is intended for outstation participants only. If you are based in Delhi, please register for in-person attendance.

• Date: April 23, 2026
• Time: 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM (lunch will start 12:30 PM onwards)
• Venue: Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Speakers and agenda:

• 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |  Lunch and Networking.
• 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |  Session 1: Victims of Censorship in India (in partnership with DIGI Pub)
  • Moderator: Adrija Bose, Editor, Decode Internet
  • Neeraj Jha, Chief Editor, Molitics
  • Haseen Rehmani, Bolta Hindustan, Founder
  • Ambuj Kumar, Lokhit India, Editor
  • Sanjay Sharma, 4-PM, Editor in Chief
    10 Minute break
    
• 1:55 PM – 2:45 PM | Session 2: MeitY’s Expanding Mandate: Rule 3(4), the timelines for content takedowns, and the Safe Harbour, in the context of Shreya Singhal and the IT Act.
  • Moderator: Aditi Agarwal, Independent Journalist, Tech Trace
  • Rakesh Maheshwari, Former Sr. Director and Group Coordinator, MeitY
  • Vasudev Devadasan, Lawyer and Master of Law Candidate at University of Melbourne
  • Torsha Sarkar, Project Manager at Centre for Communication Governance, NLU Delhi (CCG-NLUD)
  • Snehashish Ghosh, TechNiti
• 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM: Open House Discussion
  10 Minute break
  
• 3:25 PM – 4:15 PM | Session 3: MIB’s Expanded Reach: The IDC, Part III, and Government Oversight of News Content and impact on users online.
  • Moderator: Nikhil Pahwa, Founder, MediaNama
  • Apar Gupta, Founder of Internet Freedom Foundation
  • Jatin Gandhi, Vice-President Press Club of India
  • Sneha Jain, Partner at Saikrishna & Associates
  • Abhishek Malhotra, Managing Partner at TMT Practice
    
• 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Open House Discussion

Key questions that you can expect answers for in our sessions:

Session 1 | Victims of Censorship in India

• What does it actually feel like to have content taken down by the government, and what recourse does one have?
• What kinds of content are most at risk under the current takedown regime?
• Is online censorship in India getting worse, and if so, what is driving it?
• How are independent journalists and small digital publishers disproportionately affected by content takedown mechanisms compared to larger news organisations?
• How does the threat of content removal affect what journalists and content creators choose to publish in the first place?
• Are takedown orders being used to silence criticism of the government, and what does the evidence show?

Session 2: MeitY’s Expanding Mandate: Rule 3(4), the timelines for content takedowns, and the Safe Harbour, in the context of Shreya Singhal and the IT Act.

• What specific compliance gap is Rule 3(4) attempting to address, and does the proposed approach go beyond that stated objective?
• What is the current legal status of MeitY-issued advisories, clarifications, and directions, and how would the amendments change their enforceability?
• By linking safe harbour to compliance with a wide range of executive instruments, does Rule 3(4) effectively convert conditional immunity into a continuous compliance obligation?
• How do these changes interact with the principles established in Shreya Singhal, particularly the requirement of a judicial order for content restriction?
• What operational challenges do platforms face with evolving and potentially unclear compliance requirements, especially when combined with shortened takedown timelines?
• Taken together with existing tools such as Sahyog and reduced response timelines, do these amendments contribute to a broader censorship infrastructure, and what are the implications of that shift?

Session 3: MIB’s Expanded Reach: The IDC, Part III, and Government Oversight of News Content and impact on users online.

• What does expanding MIB’s code of ethics to user-generated content mean in practice for users who post, share, and react to news online?
• What are the implications of allowing the government to refer matters directly to the Inter-Departmental Committee without a prior complaint?
• Do these changes risk altering the nature of online public discourse by bringing individuals within a regulatory framework designed for institutional publishers?
• If a user posts about a government-blocked documentary or shares a news clip online, does that now fall under MIB’s oversight regime?
• How does one define “news and current affairs” in the age of social media, and who gets to decide where the line is?
• What does extending IDC jurisdiction to user-generated content mean for platforms that host millions of news-related posts daily?

Note: We have curated a reading list to help you prepare for the discussion. 

Important:

• Registration does not guarantee attendance. In case you fit our mandate for the intended audience, we’ll send you a confirmation before the event.
• Your contact information will never be shared with anyone outside of MediaNama.

Note: Our community partners for this event are Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), Centre For Communication Governance (CCG) and DIGI Pub.