However, a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai also said that the petition will be heard after four weeks. Chief Justice Gavai is scheduled to retire on November 23.
What was the demand made in the petition?
The petitioner had appealed to the Central Government to formulate a national policy and action plan, so that the tendency of watching pornography among minors can be stopped and viewing of such content in public places can be banned. The petitioner said, ‘After digitalization, everyone is connected online – whether educated or illiterate, everything is available at a single click.’ He claimed that the government itself has admitted that billions of porn sites are active on the Internet.
Increased risk for children during Covid period
The petition said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, when children were using digital devices for online studies, many of those devices did not have any control system to prevent children from watching obscene material. However, the court also noted that there are many software available that allow parents to monitor their children’s online activity or limit the content.
‘Shocking figures’ were placed before the court
The petitioner also presented some ‘shocking figures’ before the court. According to him, there are more than 20 crore porn videos or clips available for sale in India, many of which contain material related to child sexual abuse. The petition also said that the government has the right under Section 69A of the IT Act to block such websites from public access.