NEW DELHI – Indian activists are challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the use of artificial intelligence-powered surveillance used at the largest youth protest in decades, with one court case set to become a test of federal powers even after agitation ended. The surveillance controversy erupted during last week’s student protest over exam paper leaks, when demonstrators posted pictures on social media of a mobile police surveillance van equipped with cameras on a telescopic mast providing a 360-degree view of the gathering.
One protester, student activist Aishe Ghosh, has asked the Delhi High Court to declare mass surveillance of protesters unconstitutional and direct the destruction of all personal data collected during the demonstration, as well as order the framing of guidelines on how surveillance technology can be used. Ghosh is pressing on with the case even though the protest ended after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned in a rare setback for Modi, who has since announced a panel to overhaul the cheating-prone exam system.