Pulkit Mani, a 26-year-old stand-up comic, recently experienced censorship when his video was blocked on Instagram under Section 79(3)(b) of India's Information Technology Act. This incident highlights a troubling trend of increasing government censorship online, facilitated by the IT Rules, 2021, which were enacted on February 25, 2021. These rules have expanded the government's ability to censor content and surveil users without providing clear explanations or opportunities for appeal. Recent amendments, proposed on March 30, aim to extend censorship powers to digital news media and social media users commenting on politics, raising alarms about freedom of expression. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been criticized for its lack of accountability and for framing these changes as necessary to combat misinformation. Legal challenges against the IT Rules are ongoing, but many provisions remain enforced, allowing the government to wield significant power over online content.