Google IP banned in Russsia
Moscow, April 23: Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Sunday that it has banned a number of Google IP addresses that allow instant messaging service Telegram to escape blockage in Russia over user data disputes.
"Google failed to meet the requirements of Roskomnadzor and in violation of a court verdict continued to allow Telegram to use its IP addresses to carry out activities in Russia," Roskomnadzor said in a statement, Xinhua reported.
On Monday, Roskomnadzor began blocking Telegram in accordance with a court decision due to the messenger's refusal to provide encryption keys necessary to decode user data.
However, Telegram managed to bypass the blocking and continued its activities using IP addresses belonging to Google and other technology companies.
After the Russian watchdog later began to block the IPs as well, users lost connection to Telegram on Sunday.
The disputes over the ban go back to a long-term battle between Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Telegram.
The FSB has been demanding access to messages on Telegram on the suspicion that it was used to organize terrorist activities, including a deadly metro bomb attack in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg last April.
Telegram, which is popular among Russian people and organizations including the Kremlin, refused to comply with the demand, citing privacy laws.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC junks plea against Telangana rule mandating proficiency in Telugu for civil judge post
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging an order upholding a 2023 rule mandating proficiency in Telugu language to qualify for the civil judge's post in Telangana.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih told the petitioner's counsel, "It (rule) only says you need to know Telugu."
The petitioner, a practising advocate, applied for the post of civil judge pursuant to a April 2024 notification.
Before the high court, he challenged the constitutionality of Rules 5.3 and 7(i) of the Telangana State Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2023 over the requirement of the language.
The petitioner also sought a direction to provide the option of being proficient either in Telugu or Urdu as a qualification for being a civil judge aside from providing the option of translating from English to Telugu or Urdu and vice versa in written examination conducted under the 2023 Rules.
Before the top court bench, the petitioner's counsel said 15 per cent population in Telangana was Urdu speaking.
The counsel said his client cleared the qualifying examination.
The bench, however, refused to examine the plea and dismissed it.
In the Telangana High Court, the petitioner's counsel argued since Urdu was given the status of second official language in the state, it was arbitrary and unjust that an option of being conversant with Urdu or Telugu in the rules for recruitment for civil judges was not provided.
"This is trite that it is in the province of the employer to decide about the conditions of service, eligibility and qualification etc. Employer is the best judge to decide about these aspects. The scope of judicial review on these aspects is very limited," the high court said in its order of November last year.
It cannot be said that the provision of recruitment rules called in question were arbitrary, discriminatory or violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, the high court added.
While dismissing the plea, the high court said since the decision of the authorities was in the province of "policy decision" for betterment of judicial administration, it couldn't be struck down only because another view was possible.
