Overview
- The bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said it was not inclined to entertain the plea urgently and directed that it be listed again after four weeks.
- The court referenced Nepal’s recent Gen Z protests following a social‑media ban as a cautionary example against sweeping digital restrictions.
- Observing that regulation of online content lies with the executive and Parliament, the court advised the petitioner to approach policymakers rather than seek judicial directions.
- The PIL by B.L. Jain seeks a national policy to curb access to pornography, especially for minors, to prohibit public viewing, and invokes Section 69A of the IT Act to block content, citing contentious usage statistics.
- Context noted in coverage includes that private viewing of pornography is not criminalised in India, while production or distribution can attract penalties, and CJI Gavai is due to retire on November 23.