section 20
Provisions for public emergency or public safety.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023Infrastructure202362 sections11 chapters
Chapter IV STANDARDS, PUBLIC SAFETY, NATIONAL SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS
Statutory text
- (1) On the occurrence of any public emergency, including disaster management, or in the interest of public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, by notification—
- (a) take temporary possession of any telecommunication service or telecommunication network from an authorised entity; or
- (b) provide for appropriate mechanism to ensure that messages of a user or group of users authorised for response and recovery during public emergency are routed on priority.
- (2) On the occurrence of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government, may, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence and security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, or for preventing incitement to the commission of any offence, subject to such procedure and safeguards as may be prescribed, and for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order—
- (a) direct that any message or class of messages, to or from any person or class of persons, to or from any telecommunication equipment or class of telecommunication equipment, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by, or transmitted or received by any telecommunication service or telecommunication network, shall not be transmitted, or shall be intercepted or detained, or shall be disclosed in intelligible format to the officer mentioned in such order; or
- (b) direct that any telecommunication service or class of telecommunication services to or from any person or class of persons, to or from any telecommunication equipment or class of telecommunication equipment, or relating to any particular subject, transmitted or received by any telecommunication service or telecommunication network, shall be suspended.
- (3) The press messages, intended to be published in India, of correspondents accredited to the Central Government or a State Government shall not be intercepted or detained, unless their transmission has been prohibited under clause (a) of sub-section (2).
- (4) The action specified under sub-section (1), sub-section (2) and sub-section (3) shall be for such duration and in such manner as may be prescribed.
Study data processing for this section.
PDF: pending for this language.