Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government is aware of the availability of a large number of games on the internetwhich is not only wasting the time of our young generation but is also making them addicted to gambling and thereby causing heavy financial loss to the youth and their parents;
(b) whether the Government proposes to ban these games;
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
(d) if not, the reasons therefor?
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. *146 FOR08-12-2021 REGARDING INTERNET GAMES
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(a) to (d): Entries 34 and 62 of List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, provide for regulation and taxation of ‘betting and gambling’ to be under States’ legislative powers. Based on the erstwhile Public Gambling Act, 1867, most State Governments have enacted their laws to deal with betting and gambling within their jurisdictions. Some State Governments have extended their legislative and regulatory control over Online Games within their jurisdictions using these entries in the Seventh Schedule.
This ministry does not have legislative jurisdiction over contents of Internet games except that it has the power to order blocking of public access to information on internet under specified conditions of section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and following the due process, specified in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.
Further, keeping with the aim to have an Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet, Government has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 under the IT Act, 2000. The said Rules provide for removal of any information/ application violative of any extant law, as and when notified by an appropriate government or its authorized agency.
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