New Delhi: The Supreme Court has pulled up the Union government noting that review orders of the special committee constituted in May 2020 on the restoration of the internet in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir must be published.A division Bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Sanjay Karol told the government the review orders of the committee are “not meant to be kept in a cupboard” but must be published.Ruling in May 2020 in a case pertaining to internet restrictions in the Union territory, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to set up the said special committee to assess the necessity of the restrictions on the internet in J&K. The court had suggested that the committee comprise the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, secretary of the Department of Communication, and the chief secretary of the Union territory as its members.The Centre began putting restrictions on the internet in the J&K in August 2019 with the abrogation of Article 370 and the downgrading of the statehood status. Journalist Anuradha Bhasin moved the Supreme Court in January 2020 calling for the review of the restrictions placed on the internet. Not only did the court agree with Bhasin’s contention in January 2020 but it also directed the setting up of the said committee.According to The Indian Express, the May 2020 order had directed the Union home secretary to “immediately determine the necessity of the continuation of limiting mobile internet to 2G speed in the region… and allowing faster internet (3G or 4G) on a trial basis in certain geographical areas…”Against this backdrop, advocate Shadan Farasat on Tuesday, January 30, appearing for the Foundation for Media Professionals, told the court that according to the Anuradha Bhasin judgment and the Indian Telegraph Act, the administration is required to publish the review orders and the mother order on internet restrictions in the Union territory.To this, additional solicitor general K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Jammu and Kashmir administration, said,” We have complied with all the prayers made in earlier petitions. A contempt petition was also filed and was dismissed. Now, they have come up with a new prayer for publication of recommendations and deliberations of the special committee.”At this stage, the court in response said, “It may not be necessary to publish the deliberations (of the committee), but the review orders passed are required to be published. Review orders are not meant to be kept in the cupboard.”The court gave the J&K administration two weeks time to additional solictor general to take instructions from the authorities concerned.“The applicant has submitted that though this court in the case of Anuradha Bhasin held that even review orders must be published, the same is not being done. ASG KM Nataraj has said that a perusal of the order would show that deliberations are not required to be published. We are prima facie of the view that it may not be necessary to publish the deliberations, but the orders passed in the review required to be published. Mr Nataraj seeks two weeks’ time to take instructions in this regard,” the court ruled, according to Livelaw.in.