Find out how much India lost due to internet shutdowns

• Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor led parliamentary panel on information and technology, found out that “frequent internet shutdowns” in India cost the country $2.8 billion in 2020.

• The panel submitted its report to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and called for defining the parameters and a “robust mechanism” for internet shutdown.

• The report titled “Suspension of Telecom and Internet Services and Its Impact” reported that frequent shutting down of telecom services and the internet affected life and liberty of people.

• The report also noted that internet shutdowns should not be taken too frequently as matter of recourse since internet is indispensable to ordinary citizens in their daily lives.