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Modi Govt to tighten laws as WhatsApp rejects demand for software to trace message origin

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8 years ago

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Modi Govt to tighten laws as WhatsApp rejects demand for software to trace message origin

Whatsapp has rejected Modi government’s demand for making software to trace origin of a message on its platform, said media reports.

The response has prompted the government to consider issuing new, stringent guidelines by September to amplify the accountability of internet and social media companies under Indian law and to ensure they react quickly to stop the spread of rumours or offensive content on their platforms, according to a report in The Economic Times, quoting an official.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said, “Building traceability would undermine end-to-end encryption and the private nature of WhatsApp, creating the potential for serious misuse. WhatsApp will not weaken the privacy protections we provide.”

People rely on WhatsApp for all kinds of “sensitive conversations”, including with their doctors, banks and families. “Our focus remains on working closer with others in India to educate people about misinformation and help keep people safe,” the spokesperson added.

WhatsApp Head Chris Daniels had met IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad earlier this week. After the meeting, Prasad told reporters that the government has asked WhatsApp to set up a local corporate entity and find a technology solution to trace the origin of fake messages circulated through its platform as well as appoint a grievance officer. He acknowledged the role played by the Facebook-owned company in India’s digital story, but was stern that WhatsApp could face abetment charges if it did not take action to tackle the issue of fake news being circulated on its platform.

Daniels had declined to comment on the proceedings after the meeting. Briefing reporters on his talks with WhatsApp’s Daniels, minister Prasad said the company (WhatsApp) has agreed to set up a corporate entity in India, appoint a grievance officer in the country as well as follow the local laws of the land.

The Indian government has served two notices to WhatsApp seeking details of actions it has taken to curb the menace. In its response, WhatsApp had informed that it is building a local team, including having an India head, and has introduced new features to let its users identify forwarded messages.

WhatsApp has also restricted the number of forwards that can be done at a time. Besides, the company is also running advocacy and education programme to help people spot fake news. Last month, WhatsApp top executives, including COO Matthew Idema, met IT Secretary and other Indian government officials to outline various steps being taken by the company on the issue.

Now, with WhatsApp refusing to build software to trace origin of messages, the government is contemplating notification of fresh clauses under existing intermediary guidelines under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, said ET quoting an official.

“The draft of the guidelines is ready and a legal firm is vetting it. It should be out by September,” the person said.

The proposed guidelines will mandate global internet and social media firms to name a grievance officer in the country tasked with responding to complaints within a few hours, as well as ensure there is traceability of content.

The intermediary guidelines under Section 79 of the IT Act, which was notified in 2011, mandates companies to follow “due diligence” and allowed time up to 36 hours for companies to remove objectionable content and name a grievance officer on its website for response.

However, these guidelines were not stringently enforced. Currently, internet firms such as Google and Facebook, which also owns WhatsApp, are categorised as intermediaries which act as facilitators and do not actively take part in creating or modifying information.

“The ball is now in our court, we have to come out with guidelines under Section 79 of the IT Act and then we can take it to WhatsApp (or any other internet company) and say you are not complying with them,” the government officer told ET. “These will provide us with tools to enforce (things), right now they say that they are endto-end encrypted so can’t trace the origin of messages,” the official said.

The move by the government to mandate the traceability of messages circulated will open up a “can of worms” since the law will also be binding on text messages on cellular networks, said the ET report quoting legal experts.

“The government can’t expect officials of companies to take decisions on content within a few hours, something the courts will take many years to decide,” said Rahul Matthan, partner at law firm Trilegal. “There are some sites such as Facebook which curate the news feed and play some control, and we can put responsibility on them, but all messages don’t need to be reviewed to solve this,” ET quoted him as saying.

The report said privacy experts are of the view that the proposed guidelines, if enforced, could potentially violate the Supreme Court’s past verdict during the 2015 Shreya Singhal judgement.

“The Section 79 rules were subject to review and reading down by the Supreme Court of India in its landmark Shreya Singhal judgment. Any change to them would impact constitutional rights, and requires great care and open discussion,” said Raman Jit Singh Chima, global policy director at Access Now, a digital advocacy group. “It’s unfortunate that the government body tasked to manage this — the Cyber Regulation Advisory Committee –appears to not be meeting or engaging with stakeholders publicly.”

Trilegal’s Matthan said the Supreme Court has asked the government to come up with a law against lynching and not against the messenger. “The legislature can’t amend the concepts which have been laid down by the apex court during the Singhal judgement,” he added.

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Parliament Monsoon Session 2026: Anti-paper leak Bill to be introduced in Lok Sabha today

The Lok Sabha will introduce and consider the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing stricter punishment, fast-track courts and stronger safeguards against paper leaks.

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2 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

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The Lok Sabha is set to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage on Monday as the Centre moves to tighten laws against paper leaks and examination-related fraud.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will seek the House’s permission to introduce the Bill before moving it for consideration and passing during the day’s legislative business.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha are scheduled to begin at 11 am with the Question Hour, during which ministers will respond to listed oral questions.

Bill proposes stricter action against paper leaks

The proposed amendment aims to strengthen transparency and integrity in the public examination system through stricter legal provisions while safeguarding the interests of students.

Among its major provisions are:

  • Imprisonment of up to 10 years for those found guilty.
  • A fine of up to Rs.10 crore.
  • Confiscation of assets of convicted offenders.
  • A mechanism to ensure verdicts in such cases are delivered within three months through fast-track courts.

The proposed changes follow the Union Cabinet’s approval of the legislation and related measures aimed at tackling paper leaks and examination fraud with stricter punishment and expedited trials.

Supreme Court judges amendment Bill also on agenda

Apart from the anti-paper leak legislation, the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to consider the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move the Bill for consideration. It seeks to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Ministers to present implementation reports

Several Union ministers are also expected to place statements before the House on the implementation of recommendations made by various Parliamentary Standing Committees.

Among them:

  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will present an update on recommendations related to the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Jayant Chaudhary will report on recommendations concerning the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  • Pankaj Chaudhary will table a statement on recommendations relating to the Ministry of Finance.
  • Suresh Gopi will present implementation updates on recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.

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Who are the experts in Nandan Nilekani-led PM Modi’s exam reform task force?

PM Modi has constituted a six-member task force led by Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency. Here’s a look at the experts on the panel.

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2 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

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Following the announcement of a high-powered task force to reform India’s examination system, the Centre has brought together experts from technology, space research, intelligence, education, cybersecurity and logistics to recommend structural changes for the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel, led by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.

In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the government aims to make examinations more reliable, transparent and technology-driven. He said the task force would submit recommendations to improve the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest.

Nandan Nilekani to lead the panel

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, will head the task force. Widely recognised for leading the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and playing a key role in the development of Aadhaar, Nilekani is expected to contribute his expertise in technology, digital infrastructure and data security to the examination reform process.

Former ISRO chief S Somanath

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath, an aerospace engineer, is also part of the panel. During his tenure, ISRO successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-3 mission. His experience in executing complex, high-precision missions is expected to help strengthen quality control and multi-layered verification processes in examinations.

Former IB director Tapan Deka

Former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka has been included for his experience in intelligence and security. A former IPS officer with a postgraduate degree in Physics, he is expected to provide inputs on strengthening intelligence gathering and cyber monitoring to curb organised examination fraud and paper leak networks.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti

V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, is another member of the panel. A computer science academic, he has led initiatives related to microprocessor development and information security at the institute. His expertise is expected to support measures aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and protecting examination software and digital infrastructure.

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal brings administrative and academic policy experience to the task force. A retired IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, she is expected to contribute recommendations on examination policies, answer-key mechanisms, evaluation standards and improvements in the functioning of examination centres.

Logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena

Retired bureaucrat Amrit Lal Meena, who previously served as Bihar’s Chief Secretary and as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, completes the six-member panel. His expertise in supply chain management is expected to help strengthen the secure printing, storage and transportation of question papers through tamper-resistant logistics systems.

The multidisciplinary panel has been tasked with recommending structural reforms aimed at improving transparency, security and reliability in India’s examination system.

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Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

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1 day ago

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July 26, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

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