DON’T BLAME THE VICTIM” – SUPREME COURT” | SHANMUGAM IAS ACADEMY | Mr. V. GOKULA KRISHNAN

Ban Kids from the Internet? Supreme Court Says No! Internet Access a Fundamental Right for Children | UPSC GS2

Key facts at a glance

Judgment: 15 October 2026; follow-up to the Court’s September 2024 CSEAM ruling

Basis: Article 21 (life and liberty) + Article 19(1)(a) (speech and expression)

Blanket bans: Rejected as disproportionate; the Court suggested a “child mode”, private-by-default accounts and parental oversight instead

National Hash & URL List Database: For CSEAM only, possibly hosted on the Sahyog Portal of I4C (Ministry of Home Affairs)

Verification: At least three trained human analysts before any entry is added

Reporting: Material of unknown origin to be reported within two hours; weekly removal reports

Schools: NCERT and SCERTs to teach digital safety and age-appropriate sex education

Next hearing: 10 December 2026

ASER 2024 (Annual Status of Education Report), rural children aged 14–16

82.2% can use a smartphone