Centre for Communication Governance

at National Law University, Delhi

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015

>>Membership/Affiliations

Institutional Affiliations

● Member, Global Network of Interdisciplinary Internet & Society Research

Centers

● Member (Academic Constituency), Global Network Initiative

● Member, The Noncommercial Users Constituency of Internet Corporation for

Assigned Names and Numbers

● Member, Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group constituted by the Government of

India

● Member, Internet Society, Delhi Chapter

research director’s Affiliations

● Faculty Associate of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard

University

● Expert, Global Freedom of Expression & Information Jurisprudence Project at

Columbia University

● Director, Board of Management of the Digital Asia Hub, Hong Kong

● Member, Internet & Jurisdiction Project’s Academic Observatory

research collaborations

● The Centre is working with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at

Harvard University on a Research Project on Harmful Speech Online.

● The Centre is one of three Regional Hubs for the Internet censorship

database Lumen (formerly chilling effect), a project of the Berkman Center

for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

● Contributor to the Global Freedom of Expression & Information

Jurisprudence Project at Columbia University.

● Contributor to the World Intermediary Liability Project of the Centre For

Internet & Society at Stanford Law School.

>>Teaching/Curriculum Development

1. Winter School on Privacy, Surveillance and Data Protection in

collaboration with the Global Network of Internet and Society

Research Centers, the UNESCO Chair on Freedom of

Communication and Information at the University of Hamburg,

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG)

and Hans Bredow Institute, University of Hamburg from 18th to 23rd

January 2015.

2. Global Internet Governance, an elective seminar course developed

and taught to fourth and fifth year students of National Law

University, Delhi from January to June 2015.

3. Media and Internet Law and Policy, a workshop organised in

collaboration with PRS Legislative Research for Legislative Assistants

to Members of Parliament on 22nd and 23rd September 2015.

>>Research Output

1. Research Paper on Online Intermediaries in India as a part of a global research project

lead by the Berkman Centre for Internet & Society at Harvard University for the Global

Network of Interdisciplinary Internet & Society Research Centers project on Online

Intermediaries.

2. Essay entitled Empowering the marginalised: Tales of the Digital Good Life published

in Digital Asia Hub, Hong Kong’s book on ‘The Good Life in Asia’s 21st Century’.

3. The Freedom on the Net: India Country Report 2015 for Freedom House.

4. Contributed to the Law Commission of India’s 255th Report on Electoral Reforms.

5. Research Paper on the Gatekeeper Liability and Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of

India published in Volume 7 (2) of the NUJS Law Review.

6. Research Paper on Paper-Thin Safeguards and Mass Surveillance in India

published in Volume 26(2) National Law School of India Review.

7. Research Paper entitled Digital Memory & Informational Privacy: Reflecting

on the EU’s ‘Right To Be Forgotten’.

8. Research Paper on Freedom of Speech & Google Search: Preliminary Notes

for India.

9. Research paper entitled International Law Framework on Cybercrime for the

Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of

Communication & Information Technology, Government of India.

10. Discussion paper entitled Legal/Policy Interventions on Country Code Top

Level Domains (ccTLDs) for the Department of Electronics & Information

Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communication & Information Technology,

Government of India.

11. Research paper on Utilization of New gTLD Auction Proceeds for the

Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of

Communication & Information Technology, Government of India.

12. Briefing Report for Indian stakeholders ahead of the 54th meeting of  ICANN,

which was held in Dublin.

13. A Primer on the CCWG Community Empowerment Proposals.

14. Report entitled The Internet Governance Landscape: Overview of Key Events (2013-15).

15. A memo entitled .IN Domain- the Basics.

16. Consultant to the Law Commission of India on Hate Speech in India.

17. Consultant to the Law Commission of India on the Reform of Media Laws.

18. Contributed to the drafting of the Manila Principles on Intermediary Liability

at the RightsCon Pre-Event at Manila on 22nd and 23rd March, 2015.

>>Policy Inputs

1. Comments on the Draft Transition Proposal by the Cross-Community Working Group

on Naming Related Functions. (January 2015)

2. Comments on the 2nd Draft Proposal of the Cross Community Working Group to

Develop an IANA Stewardship Transition Proposal On Naming Related Functions. (May

2015)

3. Comments on the Proposal to Transition the Stewardship of the Internet Assigned

Numbers Authority (IANA) Functions from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National

Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to the Global

Multistakeholder Community. (September 2015)

4. Comments on the 1st Draft Proposal of the Cross-Community Working Group on

Enhancing ICANN Accountability (Work Stream 1 Recommendations). (June 2015)

5. Comments on the 2nd Draft Proposal of the Cross Community Working Group on

Enhancing ICANN Accountability (Work Stream 1 Recommendations). (September 2015)

6. Comments on the 3rd Draft Proposal of the Cross Community Working Group on

Enhancing ICANN Accountability (Work Stream 1 Recommendations). (December 2015)

7. Comment on the New gTLD Auction Proceeds Discussion paper. (November 2015)

8. Comment on the Initial Report of the Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) Review

of Existing ICANN Procedure for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Laws.

9. Comments on the proposed amendment for the Removal of Searchable WHOIS

Service From .MEET Registry Agreement. (December 2015)

icann

the wsis process

1. Comments on the Non-paper of the WSIS+10 Review. (September, 2015)

2. BRICS Civil Society comment on the Non-paper of the WSIS+10 Review.

(September 2015)

3. Comment on the Zero Draft of the WSIS+10 Review. (October, 2015)

4. Comment on the First Draft of the Outcome document of the WSIS+10 Review.

(November, 2015)

submissions to the indian policy-makers

1. Policy memorandum to the Department of Telecom Committee on Net Neutrality.

2. Counter - Comments to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on the Consultation

Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over the Top (OTT) Services.

3. Written comments to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information

Technology on Net Neutrality.

4. Comments to the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology,

Government of India on the Human DNA Profiling Bill, 2015.

>>events organised

1. Symposium on Human Rights and the Internet in India in collaboration with in the Global

Network of Internet & Society Research Centers, UNESCO Chair on Freedom of

Communication and Information at the University of Hamburg, Alexander von Humboldt

Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) and Hans Bredow Institute, University of Hamburg

on 17th January 2015 in New Delhi.

2. Roundtable discussion and briefing on ICANN related issues ahead of the ICANN 52

Meeting for Indian stakeholders on 3rd February 2015 in New Delhi.

3. Co-organised the WSIS+10 Review information-sharing and Civil Society coordination

event in collaboration with a group of international civil society organisations on 2nd March

2015 in Paris.

4. Roundtable Discussion on ICANN Accountability in collaboration with the Department of

Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communications and IT,

Government of India and the National Internet Exchange of India on 13th March 2015 in

New Delhi.

5. Discussion on the Shreya Singhal Judgment and the Way Forward on 4th April 2015 in

New Delhi.

6. Panel discussion on Hatred and Dangerous Speech Online: A Comparative Analysis on

9th September 2015 in New Delhi.

7. Roundtable discussion and briefing on ICANN-related issues ahead of the ICANN 54

Meeting for Indian stakeholders on 12th October 2015 in New Delhi.

8. Co-organised the Civil Society Coordination Meeting on WSIS+10 in collaboration with a

group of international civil society organisations on 14th and 15th October in New York.

9. Roundtable discussion on Cyber Security in India: Challenges and Opportunities in

collaboration with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation on 17th October 2015 in New

Delhi.

10. Roundtable discussion on Hate & Dangerous Speech Online: Identification and Strategies

in collaboration with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and the

Digital Asia Hub, Hong Kong on 12th November 2015 at the Internet Governance Forum 2015

in João Pessoa, Brazil. [video]

11. Roundtable discussion on Equity and the Developing World in Internet Governance in

collaboration with the Digital Asia Hub, Hong Kong on 12th November 2015 at the Internet

Governance Forum 2015 in João Pessoa, Brazil. [video]

12. Co-hosted a panel on IANA functions Transition: A New Era in Internet Governance? with

the Internet Governance Project at Georgia Tech School of Public Policy, Atlanta, United States

on 13th November 2015 at the Internet Governance Forum 2015 in João Pessoa, Brazil. [video]

>>events attended

1. Panelist at the Global Launch Event of the Freedom on the Net 2015 report organised

by Freedom House at Washington DC. [video]

2. Panelist at a Breakout Session on Privacy at UNESCO’s CONNECT- ing the Dots:

Options for Future Action held at UNESCO Headquarters, in Paris.

3. Panelist at a UNESCO side event on Building on WSIS+10: Putting Knowledge

Societies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda at the High Level Meeting of the World

Summit on the Information Society at New York. [video]

4. Panelist at the Roundtable on Strengthening a Global Perspective on University

Teaching and Research on Freedom of Expression organized by the Columbia

University’s Global Freedom of Expression Project, New York.

5. Panelist at the Round Table on Review of the Global South’s Jurisprudence on

Intermediary Liability organized by the Columbia University’s Global Freedom of

Expression Project at the Third expert meeting on Open Journalism organized by the

Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media at Vienna, Austria.

6. Panelist at the Practitioner’s Dialogue on Offences Against Religion: India, Myanmar

and Pakistan organized by the International Commission of Jurists.

7. Panelist at The World Intermediary Liability Map Project: Expansion and Trends panel

at RightsCon 2015, Manila, Philippines.

8. Panelist at the Session on Global Research Updates and Areas of Collaboration at the

Global Network of Interdisciplinary Internet & Society Research Centers annual public

conference on ‘Internet & Society: Emerging Topics and Research Communities’.

9. Panelist at the Freedom on the Net 2015 panel organised by Freedom House at the

Internet Governance Forum 2015 at João Pessoa, Brazil. [video]

10. Panelist at the workshop on Dangerous Speech organised by the Nexus Fund in

Bangkok, Thailand.

11. Participant and rapporteur at the 1st Young ICT Leaders' Forum organised jointly by the

ITU and the City of Busan, South Korea.

12. Panelist on Freedom Online: The Net and Democracy at the Times of India Lit Fest at

New Delhi.

13. Panelist on the Regimes of Surveillance panel at a convention on the ‘Degradation of

Criminal Justice System’ at New Delhi.

14. Panelist and Chair at the Second Regional International Telecommunications Society

Conference 2015 in New Delhi.

15. ICANN 52 at Singapore

16. ICANN 53 at Buenos Aires

17. ICANN 54 at Dublin

18. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum at Geneva

19. 2nd Informal Consultation for the 10 Year Review of WSIS Outcomes at New York

20. 2nd Preparatory Meeting for the 10 Year Review of WSIS Outcomes at New York

21. High Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly for the 10 Year Review of WSIS

>>published comments

1. Securing a future for ‘Digital

India’ (Op-ed, The Hindu, Jan 2015)

2. Blocking online porn: who should

make Constitutional decisions about

freedom of speech? (Scroll, Feb

2015)

3. Using law to bully comedians (Op-

ed, The Hindu, Feb 2015)

4. Speaking for freedom (Op-ed, The

Indian Express, March 2015)

5. Supreme Court ruling on Section

66A: As much online as offline (Op-

ed, The Economic Times, March

2015)

6. The case of the online intermediary

(Op-ed, The Hindu, April 2015)

7. India watches silently as a battle for

control for the Internet unfolds (The

Wire, May 2015)

8. Why Indians must resist the Modi

government's planned surveillance

system (Scroll, May 2015)

9. Stepping up to Cyberspace (Op-ed,

The Hindu, June 2015)

10. The Deadly New Age War (Op-ed,

The Hindu, June 2015)

11. India’s New ‘Multistakeholder’ Line

Could Be a Gamechanger in Global

Cyberpolitics (The Wire, June 2015)

12. Yes to multi-stakeholderism (Op-ed,

The Hindu, July 2015) 13. A basic

right is in danger (Op-ed, The Hindu,

July 2015)

14. Codes and Conundrums (Op-ed,

Indian Express, September 2015)

15. Harnessing Digital India to the

Debate on Universal, Secure Access

to Information (The Wire, October

2015)

16. Indian hackers, Anonymous and

#OpISIS: The grey area of online

vigilantism (Scroll, November 2015)

>>select blog posts

1. Draft transcripts of the proceedings in the Shreya Singhal v Union of India

hearings. A part of our collection of such transcripts is available here.

2. What’s the hue & cry about Criminal Defamation?: Summary of Arguments from

the Supreme Court in Subramanian Swamy v Union of India

3. The Anatomy of Internet Shutdowns – I (Of Kill Switches and Legal Vacuums)

4. The Anatomy of Internet Shutdowns – II (Gujarat & Constitutional Questions)

A

5. The Anatomy of Internet Shutdowns – III (Post Script: Gujarat High Court Verdict)

6. Can the EU beat Big Data and the NSA? An Overview of the Max Schrems saga

7. To B2B or Not: Brief on Ecommerce and FDI Policy in India

8. Delfi v Estonia: Dangers of Collateral Censorship

9. Bihar Elections ’15: A Hate Speech Examination

10. SC: Aadhar not mandatory & Constitution bench to consider the right to privacy

question

11. Aadhar: the Past and the Future

12. Do Not Invite Barbie Home

13. Ministry of Road Transport Issues Advisory on Taxi Aggregator Apps

14. The National Draft Encryption Policy 1.0

15. We are not a totalitarian state and cannot be asked to moral police: AG tells SC in

the Porn Petition

16. Busy Day for Free Speech in the Supreme Court: Defamation and Pornography

17. IT Ministry’s Response to Questions in Rajya Sabha (includes Blocking of Content,

Net Neutrality, Amendments to IT Act, Website Accessibility)

18. Government’s Response to Fundamental Questions Regarding the Internet in

India

19. Cyber Warfare: Relevant International Instruments & their Applicability

20. Cybersecurity in the Indian Banking Sector

21. Cyber Extortion: Ransom and Cyberspace

22. Cybersecurity Cooperation – India’s Latest Bilateral Arrangements

23. Index of CCG’s WSIS+10 Review Coverage

24. CCG’s Analysis of the WSIS+10 Draft Outcome Document- Initial Thoughts

25. WSIS+10 Review Process Update: Dissecting the Draft Outcome Document

26. Final WSIS+10 Agreed Text Draft: Additions, Omissions and Reorganization.

27. ICANN 54: A Dublin Update

28. CCWG-Accountability: Unpacking the 3rd draft proposal.

29. Mapping Global Internet Public Policy Issues

To know more about the Centre and its ongoing projects, please write to ccg@nludelhi.ac.in

National Law University, Delhi Sector 14, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110078

India

Visit us at www.ccgdelhi.org

www.ccgtlr.org www.nludelhi.ac.in

Designed by Anveshna Chainwala

facebook.com/ccgdelhi @CCGDelhi