<keyword id="6366153" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence-Minister" source="Orion">Defence Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6355121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajnath-singh" source="Orion">Rajnath Singh</keyword> on Monday said that he had tested positive for <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword>. In a tweet, he said, "I have tested positive for Corona today with mild symptoms. I am under home quarantine. I request everyone who have recently come in my contact to isolate themselves and get tested." Former Union Minister and Lok Sabha member Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore also tested positive for Covid on Monday. Union Minister <keyword id="4032986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> tested positive on Sunday. In a tweet, he had said: "And after succeeding in avoiding #COVID19 for last 21 months, it finally catches up wth me tdy as I tested +ve tdy." Recently several Union Ministers tested positive for Covid. These include Mahendra Nath Pandey, Raosaheb Patil Danve, Bharti Pawar, Nityanand Rai, and S.P. Singh Baghel. BJP MPs Varun Gandhi and Manoj Tiwari also tested positive for Covid. Tiwari, however, has recovered from infection as recent report on Saturday came negative. Today, <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> registered single-day rise of 1,79,723 new Covid cases and 146 deaths. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-starts-third-dose-for-population-above-60-with-comorbidities/articleshow/88803159.cms">India starts precautionary dose for population above 60 with comorbidities — All you need to know</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-variant-deltacron/articleshow/88805635.cms">Deltacron – All you need to know about the new variant</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/omicron-in-india-maharashtra-continues-to-be-worst-hit-state-rajasthan-outnumbers-delhi/articleshow/88805948.cms">Omicron in India: Maharashtra continues to be worst hit state, Rajasthan outnumbers Delhi</a>

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tests positive for COVID-19

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47120954.cms" /> The debate on <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword> is picking up heat. While Net Neutrality supporters have already declared a war against <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword> and <keyword id="6379816" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-operators">telecom operators</keyword>, we haven’t yet heard much from the Indian government on the issue—except for the fact that they (Indian government and TRAI) are planning to come up with a law on Net Neutrality, which would define the do’s and don’ts. 
 Though we really can’t say what those do’s and don’ts would be and to what extent they would restrict our freedom on the Web, but it is heartening to know that there are people like <keyword id="4032986" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> who are raising their voice in the Parliament and are asking for some bold steps in favour of Net Neutrality. 
 
Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who is currently serving his second term as an independent member of the Rajya Sabha, has particularly been reiterating that TRAI must come clean about corporate rivalry they mentioned in their recent 118 page consultation document. And he has sent across the same message in his recent letter to Rahul Khullar, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. In this letter dated 23rd April 2015, he has challenged the 118 page consultation document submitted by TRAI and called it disappointing. He cites, “I have gone through your 118 page consultation document and regrettably have noted, that this consultation paper lacks the promised balance and is therefore deeply disappointing. Arguably instead, the paper betrays a strong bias towards telecom operators from telecom operators from the questions framed for the consultation.” 
 
In his letter, he also strongly objected TRAI’s attempt to seek regulatory or public policy protection to perpetuate a legacy business model of telcos. He said, “I appreciate that investments and investor sentiment are critical to developing both national infrastructure on which the current and future Internet and Internet accsees network can operate. But, I firmly reject the notion that consumer interests and core character of an open and free Internet have to be sacrificed to maximize the business interests of Telcos and Internet Access Providers, which seems to be the premise of the TRAI consultation paper.” 
 
You can read the complete letter <a href="rajeev.in/rajeev_writes/Regulatory_Framework/Letter_to_Rahul_Khullar_TRAI_Apr232015.pdf">here.</a>

TRAI’s Paper on Net Neutrality has a strong bias towards telecom operators: Rajeev Chandrashekhar

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46675173.cms" />The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> may have struck down the draconian, super abused Section 66A of the <keyword id="6379296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="IT-Act">IT Act</keyword>, but if some people within the current Government have their way, it could soon make a comeback, in a different <keyword id="44111" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Avatar">avatar</keyword> hitherto. <keyword id="51958" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="YES">Yes</keyword>, you heard that right. 
 
Just a few hours after the apex court’s landmark judgment, some members of the current government are toying with the idea of coming out with a similar provision, that will effectively curb any ‘menace’ on the internet. 
 Infact, while welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to scrap section 66A of the IT Act, Rajya Sabha MP <keyword id="4032986" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> said the government now needs to replaces the entire intermediary rules under the law and come up with a multi stakeholder discussion to come up with new rules. 
 
"I think the next step for this government should be to come up with a new 66A after some consultation," Chandrashekhar told the Economic Times. "And since, it will be done through consultations, it will give everybody the comfort that it is addressing misuse of internet, but at the same time preserving and respecting the right to express freely for lots of innocent users on the internet." 
 
In his PIL in 2012, Chandrashekhar had argued that section 66A is unconstitutional because in the name of securing the Internet and in the name of preventing the abuse of internet, government and government bureaucrats were overreaching and trespassing into the constitutional right of free speech. 
 "The problem with Section 66A is that it criminalizes without a proper definition of the crime. In <keyword id="823722" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="the-section">the section</keyword> it will say offensive, without a threshold of evidence before criminalization. Section 66A is the only section that criminalizes a wide range of activities independent of the mental state of the person sending electronic communication," he told ET. 
 He said the previous government did not take any action to replace section 66A despite assurances. "When I started arguing over this issue in 2012 with the government, when <keyword id="30182" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kapil-Sibal">Kapil Sibal</keyword> was the IT minister, I suggested to him to cancel 66A and come up with a new 66A. It was then brought to the parliament and debated and Sibal gave an assurance in parliament that we will do a public consultation and multi stakeholder discussion on creating a new 66A. He did not," Chandrashekhar said. 
 
He suggested given the government's focus on digital India, they are well within their rights to say that they'll come up with new set of intermediary rules to replace the ones from 2011, the ET report said. 
 "You need to keep the law order people on one side of the table, you need to keep NGOs and people from <keyword id="59810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Civil-society">civil society</keyword> on one side of the table and people from information technology on another side of the table and then through that process come up with openly intermediary guidelines that meet the public policy guidelines of security, abuse of the internet and internet proliferation and innovation," Chandrashekhar said. 
 
(Image Courtesy: Commentary.com)

Sec
66 A might make a comeback in a different avatar, if these people have their
way

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33731889.cms" /> Apart from the slogans for change, if anything significant has happened during these elections, it is way the e-world has arrived, officially this time. Every <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> candidate worth his/her salt has a media manager who is updating the social media sites for the candidate – be it with campaign pictures, videos of speeches or interactions with the voters. And there are quite a few crackers in the <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> world as well. Like <keyword id="50339" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajay-Maken">Ajay Maken</keyword> hit Twitter almost immediately after the BJP released its manifesto. Today, if something is bound to change, it will be the mode of interaction with the people of this country. Only time will tell whether it is good for us or not. 
 
The Lok Sabha polls this year have driven Twitter into the fever mode and here are 15 popular tweets by politicians that you wouldn’t want to miss. 
 
1. <keyword id="4032986" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrashekhar">Rajeev Chandrashekhar</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/rajeev_mp">@rajeev_mp</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33731910.cms" /> 
2. <keyword id="18656" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lalu-Prasad-Yadav">Lalu Prasad Yadav</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/laluprasadrjd">@laluprasadrjd</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33731937.cms" /> 
3. <keyword id="30182" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kapil-Sibal">Kapil Sibal</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSibal">@KapilSibal</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33731953.cms" /> 
4. <keyword id="6354361" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kiran-Bedi">Kiran Bedi</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/thekiranbedi">@thekiranbedi</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33731962.cms" /> 
5. Omar Abdullah - <a href="https://twitter.com/abdullah_omar">@abdullah_omar</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732047.cms" /> 
6. <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwarajbjp">@SushmaSwarajbjp</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732059.cms" /> 
7. <keyword id="42749" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shashi-Tharoor">Shashi Tharoor</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor">@ShashiTharoor</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732061.cms" /> 
8. <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley">@arunjaitley</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732063.cms" /> 
9. Smriti Z Irani - <a href="https://twitter.com/smritiirani">@smritiirani</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732076.cms" /> 
10. <keyword id="6361795" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Vasundhara-Raje">Vasundhara Raje</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/VasundharaBJP">@VasundharaBJP</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732081.cms" /> 
11. <keyword id="42634" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Varun-Gandhi">Varun Gandhi</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/varungandhi80">@varungandhi80</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732083.cms" /> 
12. <keyword id="13850" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajiv-Pratap-Rudy">Rajiv Pratap Rudy</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/RajivPratapRudy">@RajivPratapRudy</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732085.cms" /> 
13. <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> - <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal">@ArvindKejriwal</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732094.cms" /> 
14. Milind Deora - <a href="https://twitter.com/milinddeora">@milinddeora</a> 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732102.cms" /> 
15. Gul Panag - <a href="https://twitter.com/GulPanag">@GulPanag 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/33732109.cms" /></a>

15 Most Popular Tweets From Politicians This General
Election

No draft of the <keyword id="15735615" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-India-Bill" source="Orion">Digital India Bill</keyword> has been published for public feedback or comments and no notice of the same was given in respect of the bill for its introduction in the <keyword id="61449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Winter-Session" source="Orion">Winter Session</keyword> 2022-23, the Parliament was told on Friday. "The policies of the Government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe and trusted, and accountable internet for its users. To help achieve this aim, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology engages with and receives inputs from the public and stakeholders, including in respect of changes required to existing legislation and the need to introduce fresh legislation. Such engagement includes all aspects of law, including regulation of digital representation of users on various online platforms, Minister of State, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. Once the legislative proposal is formulated, in accordance with the government's policy on pre-legislative consultation, proposed legislation is published in the public domain and feedback/comments invited from the public before submitting a legislative proposal to the Cabinet, he said. Thereafter, in accordance with the procedure detailed in the Manual of Parliamentary Procedures as published by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Justice is consulted on the same and, after approval of the Cabinet, notice of the motion for introduction of a Bill is given to the Secretariat of relevant House of Parliament, he added. "The said procedure for introduction of a Bill in Parliament and pre-legislative consultation policy for public feedback/comments is observed in respect of all legislative proposals of the government. No draft has been published of the Digital India Bill for public feedback/comments and no notice of the same was given in respect of the Digital India Bill for its introduction in the Winter Session, 2022-23," the Minister said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/desk-bombing-monk-mode-other-emerging-trends-at-the-workplace-as-per-linkedin/slidelist/98973217.cms">Desk-bombing, monk mode &amp; other emerging trends at the workplace</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/haircut-on-cases-resolved-through-ibc-not-very-encouraging-says-kotak-report/articleshow/98972743.cms">Haircut on cases resolved through IBC not very encouraging, says Kotak report</a>

You Searched For "Rajeev Chandrashekhar" and got 5 results

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tests positive for COVID-19

IANS

TRAI’s Paper on Net Neutrality has a strong bias towards telecom operators: Rajeev Chandrashekhar

Richa Sharma

Sec 66 A might make a comeback in a different avatar, if these people have their way

BI India Bureau

15 Most Popular Tweets From Politicians This General Election

Preetam Kaushik

No draft of Digital India Bill published for public feedback or comments

IANS