Supreme Court Rules Internet Access a Fundamental Right for Children, Rejects Blanket Bans

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has declared that access to the internet constitutes a fundamental right, and this vital entitlement extends equally to children. During recent proceedings, a bench of the apex court firmly declined to institute blanket, age-based restrictions on internet usage, noting that broad prohibitions fail to effectively keep minors offline and instead push them toward heightened digital risks.

While explicitly recognizing growing anxieties surrounding online child safety and exploitation, the top court underscored the necessity of robust parental oversight and mandated social media companies to implement dedicated child-mode controls. Furthermore, the bench issued comprehensive directives instructing intermediaries and relevant state authorities to proactively identify and purge child sexual abuse material from online environments.

In a separate development in the capital, left-wing student organizations and women's activists assembled outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Ashoka Road to protest recent detentions and police actions. The demonstration followed the detention of All India Students' Association president Neha Bora alongside previous measures targeting student leadership.

Protesters representing the All India Democratic Women's Association, Students' Federation of India, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, and various other leftist factions gathered despite the active enforcement of Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita throughout New Delhi. Participants chanted slogans, displayed placards condemning alleged police brutality, voter rigging, and the mistreatment of female demonstrators, while demanding official accountability.

Heavy, multi-tier security measures involving the Delhi Police, Central Reserve Police Force, and Rapid Action Force were established to secure the perimeter of the headquarters. The protest largely maintained a non-violent character centered on vocal sloganeering as law enforcement officials closely monitored the crowd under strict prohibitory orders.