APSC Answer Writing (Daily) based on Assam Tribune – 03/11/2026

Model answer

Introduction: The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 named misinformation and disinformation the top global risk for the next two years. Its experts ranked it the top risk for India as well. India must therefore protect dissent, which keeps power accountable, while stopping organised destabilisation, which turns disagreement into distrust between citizens.

1. Legitimate dissent vs organised destabilisation in the age of social media

2. How India can counter the manipulation of social divisions while protecting constitutional freedoms

• Incitement test: In Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Only incitement can be curbed, not discussion or advocacy.
• Targeted blocking: The same judgment upheld Section 69A of the IT Act for blocking specific harmful posts through reasoned orders.
• No misuse of sedition: Kedar Nath Singh (1962) limited sedition to incitement to violence, and S.G. Vombatkere (2022) put Section 124A in abeyance. Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, needs the same narrow reading.
• Proportionate shutdowns: In Anuradha Bhasin (2020), the Court ruled that internet suspension orders must be temporary, proportionate and published.
• Independent fact-checking: The Press Information Bureau Fact Check Unit has worked since November 2019. But in 2024 the Bombay High Court struck down the 2023 IT Rules amendment on a government fact-check unit. So the State cannot be the sole judge of truth about itself.

3. Special reference to the North-East

• Deep historical fault lines: The region has lived through decades of insurgency, ethnic conflict and displacement. So one false message can reopen old wounds before the facts emerge.
• 2012 exodus: Morphed images made thousands of North-East people flee Bengaluru. The Centre then banned bulk Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages for 15 days from 17 August 2012.
• Karbi Anglong lynching: On 8 June 2018, a mob at Dokmoka killed two Guwahati youths, Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath, over a child-lifter rumour. It showed the need for fast local rumour-busting.
• Manipur violence: Manipur suspended mobile internet on 3 May 2023, citing rumours and hate videos. But the long shutdown also blocked verified information, so targeted blocking works better.
• Unresolved grievances: Manipulation thrives on corruption and delayed justice. Seven years after the Dokmoka killings, the trial was still incomplete in June 2025. Speedy justice and good governance are themselves security tools.

4. Way Forward

• State police: Every North-East state should run a social media cell like Assam’s Criminal Investigation Department cell for the 2026 polls, acting on evidence, not political pressure.
• District administration: Nodal officers required by Tehseen Poonawalla (2018) should issue quick, verified bulletins in tense times.
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology: It should make platforms label coordinated fake networks and share data with researchers.
• Schools and colleges: State education boards should teach students to verify forwards before sharing.
• Media and political parties: Journalists should separate facts from allegations, and parties should not inflame tensions for votes.

Conclusion: India does not need to choose between free speech and security. It needs narrow laws, fair investigation and honest, prompt communication. A North-East that trusts its institutions will reject rumours faster than any internet shutdown can stop them.