TOP COURT STAYS ALL PROCEEDINGS BEFORE HCS CHALLENGING I.T. RULES’ VALIDITY

NEW DELHI: The SC passed a blanket order staying all the further proceedings, before the high courts, challenging the validity of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

The order was passed after the Centre informed the top court that despite the stay issued by the latter last year against the proceedings pending in six matters before four HCS– Allahabad, Calcutta, Punjab & Haryana and MP— there were several other HC proceedings going on. Centre presented 15 such cases, where an order for stay on further proceedings will be required if the SC was to take a call on the validity of these rules applicable to digital media, news portals and OTT platforms. The court order said, “We direct stay of further proceedings in the high courts in the respective cases or to be filed hereafter until the next date of hearing involving challenge to the IT Rules, 2021 or the Cable Television Amendment Rules which are subject matter of proceedings before court.”htc