EDUCATION (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -On March 24, 2015, in the case Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in its entirety, and ruled that it was violative of Article 19(1)(a).

Detailed explanation-2: -Under section 66A of the IT Act, which was scrapped by the top court in 2015, a person posting offensive messages could be imprisoned for up to three years and also fined.

Detailed explanation-3: -The court struck down the provision as unconstitutional and a violation of free speech in 2015 in the Shreya Singhal Case. The section relating to restrictions on online speech was declared unconstitutional on grounds of violating the freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.

Detailed explanation-4: -Case Summary and Outcome The Court agreed that the prohibition against the dissemination of information by means of a computer resource or a communication device intended to cause annoyance, inconvenience or insult did not fall within any reasonable exceptions to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.