Governement sets up committee to look into Net Neutrality

The concept of net neutrality is simple: on the Internet, all bits are equal. What you do with the data you pay for - watch a YouTube video, send a WhatsApp message or make a Skype call - is entirely your prerogative and in an ideal world, your Internet service provider should not prioritise certain kinds of bits over others.

There might be hope for net neutrality in India yet. Ravi Shankar Prasad, India's Communications and Information Technology Minister just tweeted this:

#Internet is one of the finest creations of human mind.It belongs to enitre humanity and not to a few. #NetNeutralitypic.twitter.com/TlWmPQLRGn

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 7, 2015

Our govt. believes in using #Internet for citizen empowerment. A committee has been set up in Dept. of Telecom to look into #NetNeutrality

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 7, 2015

The concept of net neutrality, as we

previously wrote

, is simple: on the Internet, all bits are equal. What you do with the data you pay for - watch a YouTube video, send a WhatsApp message or make a Skype call - is entirely your prerogative and in an ideal world, your Internet service provider should not prioritise certain kinds of bits over others.

Last week, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a 118-page consultation paper inviting reponses from the general public about net neutrality. A non-neutral internet will directly affect consumers: imagine paying extra for using services like Whatsapp and Skype over and above what you already pay your mobile operator.

Prasad's tweets don't necessarily mean that the government will necessarily do the right thing as far as net neutrality is concerned. But for net neutrality's vocal advocates, it's the first indication that the government is listening.