Porn Menace: Centre Suggests Internet Jammers In School Buses

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  In a PIL in apex court, Supreme Court Woman Lawyers Association had pointed to rising instances of school bus crew molesting children after showing porn 

  
  

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  “it may not be feasible to install jammers inside the school premises since jammers in school will block internet access to computers used by children. However in order to prevent access of pornographic sites on cell phones by these drivers or anyone who is in charge of the children in the buses they can be installed in buses” CENTRE’S AFFIDAVIT

  
  

To curb rising instances of school bus drivers and other crew members of the vehicle showing porn clips on their mobiles to children, exploiting them and also affecting their emotional and psychological well-being, the Centre has told the schools that it up to them to install jammers in school buses so that the bus crew cannot access internet on their cell phones.

Responding to suggestion by the Supreme Court Woman Lawyers Association, one of the petitioners in the public interest litigation pending in the apex court, to install jammers inside school premises, the affidavit filed by RP Saxena, co-ordinator of the cyber Laws and e-security group of the government, said “it may not be feasible to install jammers inside the school premises since jammers in school will block internet access to computers used by children. However in order to prevent access of pornographic sites on cell phones by these drivers or anyone who is in charge of the children in the buses they can be installed in buses”

"Due to easy access to porn, even bus drivers and conductors of school buses, cabs and taxis have porn clippings/videos on their mobile phones. As these are publicly shared without compunction, even the children would be exposed to this, critically affecting their emotional and psychological well-being. It is a serious matter of concern and such type of behaviour cannot be tolerated. It has become very common these days for the drivers, conductors/cleaners to take advantage of innocent children, induce them to watch porn on their mobiles and indulge in molestation and sodomisation of the child," said the petition filed by the association's secretary Prerna Kumari and settled by senior lawyer Mahalakshmi Pavani.

‘PORN CORRUPTING YOUNG MINDS’

"Pornography corrupts the mind of the young generation today, who tend to commit crime against women/girls/children. Easy availability of porn through internet, CDs, porn videos/porn clippings are the root cause of most of the offences as well as crime against women/girls/children. We seek formulation of a national policy on the issue of pornography and to frame guidelines and strict measures to curb the growing of issue of child pornography," the petition said.

The issue of bus drivers comes close on the heels of the SCWLA suggesting to the court that no porn site should have free access and those desperate to watch it should be made to pay a hefty amount which “can act as a deterrent”. The Association also moots a “revenue generation model for the government”.

Referring to “increasing” instances where auto drivers, bus drivers and conductors indulge in molestation and sodomy, the affidavit says: “Limited access to persons making request to visit porn sites, may be provided (like VPN gateway server, etc) with certain conditions like:-Instead of making payment to the Service providers, a hefty amount be made to the Government of India.

“This way, it is reflected in the bank accounts, also people like auto-drivers and people belonging to such similar strata of the Society will have restricted access to online pornography. Also, it can be a great revenue generating model for the Government”.

Modi government recently told the SC that it has roped in international police agency Interpol in a bid to crack down on sexual abuse and pornography of children amid a surge in photographs and videos on the internet showing kids being sexually exploited.

"IT ministry has approved a formal agreement wherein Department of Telecommunications will obtain list maintained by INTERPOL containing domain names hosting child sexual abuse contents and act as an appropriate agency of the government to direct its licensee ISPs to expeditiously remove or disable access to material found in violation of the IT Act," the Centre’s affidavit said.

"Further the mechanism to obtain the list containing domain names hosting contents of child sexual abuse is being worked out in consultation with the CBI." it said.

The top court has asked the Centre in February to suggest ways to ban child pornography in all forms in the country saying that the nation cannot "afford to carry on any experiment" in the name of "liberty or freedom of speech and expression".

This article has been made possible because of financial support from Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation.