• Download the order here.

Authorities in Rajasthan have imposed a 24-hour internet shutdown across large parts of Jaipur, suspending mobile internet, bulk SMS, MMS, and access to platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Divisional Commissioner V. Saravana Kumar issued the order on June 7 under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017. 

The shutdown was ordered ahead of a Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) encroachment-removal drive scheduled for June 8, amid concerns that protests, market closures, and the spread of videos, photographs, and messages on social media could disrupt public order. The demolition drive includes five religious structures. Consequently, internet services will remain suspended in dozens of police station areas across Jaipur from 12 AM June 8, 2026, to 12 AM June 9, 2026. 

How is the internet shut down? Internet shutdowns in India are governed by the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, which allow the Union or state governments to suspend telecom services during a public emergency or in the interest of public safety. The orders have to be issued by the Union or State Home Secretary and reviewed by a designated review committee. 

However, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India tightened these safeguards. The court held that internet shutdowns cannot be indefinite and should be subject to judicial review. It also directed authorities to publish shutdown orders.

Cost and frequency of shutdowns in India: The Jaipur shutdown comes against a broader backdrop of frequent internet restrictions in India. According to SFLC.in’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 448 shutdowns since 2012, followed by Rajasthan with 114 and Manipur with 62. 

Meanwhile, the economic costs continue to mount. Top10VPN’s Cost of Internet Shutdowns Report 2025 found that India ranked ninth globally for the total duration of intentional internet shutdowns, logging 3,671 disruption hours. The report estimated that the restrictions cost the Indian economy around $179.8 million and affected approximately 52.5 million users.

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