Category Governance and Law

Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Amendment Rules, 2025: Senior Level Accountability for Takedowns

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for ICT for Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Governance and Law, Insights

The safe harbour framework for intermediaries in India flows from Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, operationalized by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Under Rule 3(1)(d), intermediaries had to disable access to unlawful content upon receiving actual knowledge through a court order or government notification. The phrase "Appropriate Government or its agency" was, however, not hierarchically defined, which in practice permitted officers as low as Inspector rank to issue takedown directions, leading to risks of arbitrary action, lack of transparency, and chilling effect on Article 19(1)(a), as cautioned in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India.

IMPRI Desk
October 30, 2026

Legal Aid Defense Counsel System (LADCS): 2023-2026

Insights, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Centres, Governance and Law, Policy Update, Thematic Areas

Article 39A of the Constitution directs the State to provide free legal aid, and the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 makes persons in custody eligible for it (Section 12). Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before law and a legal system which promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity to all. But for decades, criminal legal aid ran on the panel lawyer (assigned counsel) model. The older system relied on part-time panel lawyers paid per case (honoraria), District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) empanelled private advocates who took legal aid cases alongside their own practice.

IMPRI Desk
October 29, 2026

Indigenisation of Special Clothing and Mountaineering Equipment (2021): Strengthening India`s High Altitude Defence Preparedness

Policy Update, Center for Work and Welfare, Governance and Law

Special Clothing and Mountaineering Equipment, SCME, is the Indian Army's term for the extreme-cold clothing and climbing gear issued to troops deployed in Super High Altitude Areas

IMPRI Desk
October 23, 2026

Tamil Nadu R&D Policy 2022: Strengthening Research, Innovation and Industry-Academia Linkages

Policy Update, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Governance and Law, Insights, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Urbanization, Habitat, Transportation and Regional Development

The Tamil Nadu R&D Policy 2022 is the State Government's dedicated framework for attracting and supporting research and development investment, issued by the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department. The Department's own Policy Note describes its purpose as boosting an R&D ecosystem that can feed innovative technologies and solutions across industrial and service sectors, with a particular aim of attracting scientific R&D and Global Capability Centre (GCC) investments (Government of Tamil Nadu, 2023). The policy takes effect from the date of the Government Order and is valid for ten years or until a new policy is announced, whichever is earlier (Government of Tamil Nadu, 2022).

IMPRI Desk
October 22, 2026

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FASTag (2016): Digitalising Toll Collection and Transforming Highway Mobility in India

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for ICT for Development, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Governance and Law

FASTag is India’s flagship electronic toll collection system, introduced in 2016 to enable seamless, contactless payment of user fees at toll plazas using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. It was launched by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, with the objective of reducing congestion, improving transparency in toll collection, and enabling smoother highway mobility.

IMPRI Desk
October 20, 2026

Expediting Justice: Evaluating the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) Framework.

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Centres, Governance and Law, Thematic Areas

The pervasive backlog within India’s judicial machinery has long hindered the prompt delivery of justice, most acutely in cases involving sexual violence and crimes against children. Following nationwide public outrage and landmark legislative reforms enacted in the wake of the 2012 Delhi incident, legal frameworks were tightened—notably through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. These statutes introduced stringent punitive measures, shifted evidentiary burdens, and instituted strict statutory timelines for investigation and trial completion.

IMPRI Desk
October 18, 2026

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The Weapons of Mass Destruction Amendment Act, 2022: Strengthening Controls on Proliferation Financing

Policy Update, Governance and Law, Insights, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

India’s 2022 amendment to the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Act strengthened the legal framework for preventing the financing of activities involving weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. It introduced an express prohibition on such financing and empowered the Central Government to freeze, seize or attach relevant assets. Subsequent government orders established procedures for implementing these powers. However, establishing a legal framework is not the same as demonstrating its effectiveness. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recognised progress in India’s counter-proliferation-financing framework in its 2024 assessment while identifying implementation challenges. The amendment’s impact must therefore be assessed by distinguishing legal progress from evidence of practical implementation.

IMPRI Desk
October 18, 2026