By accessing or using samacharsetu.co.in, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the website immediately.
Acceptance of Terms
These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User") and SamacharSetu Media ("SamacharSetu") governing your access to and use of samacharsetu.co.in and all associated content and services.
By accessing the website, you confirm that you are at least 18 years of age (or have obtained parental consent if between 13–18) and legally capable of entering into binding agreements under Indian law.
- Section 11, Indian Contract Act, 1872 — Only persons of the age of majority (18 years) are competent to contract
- Section 10, Indian Contract Act, 1872 — All agreements made by free consent of parties competent to contract, for lawful consideration, are valid contracts
- IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, Rule 3(1)(b) — Intermediaries must not permit users below 18 without parental consent to use the platform
Use of the Site
You agree to use SamacharSetu only for lawful purposes. You must not:
- Reproduce, distribute, or republish any article or content without prior written consent
- Use automated bots, scrapers, or crawlers to extract content in bulk
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the website or its servers
- Transmit malware, spam, or any content that is unlawful, defamatory, or harmful
- Misrepresent your identity or affiliation with SamacharSetu
- Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the website
- Publish or share content that promotes enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, or language
- Section 66, IT Act, 2000 — Computer-related offences (hacking, unauthorised access) — imprisonment up to 3 years and/or fine up to ₹5 lakh
- Section 66C, IT Act, 2000 — Identity theft — imprisonment up to 3 years and fine up to ₹1 lakh
- Section 153A, IPC, 1860 — Promoting enmity between groups — imprisonment up to 3 years
- Section 505, IPC, 1860 — Statements conducing to public mischief — imprisonment up to 3 years
- IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules, 2021, Rule 3(1)(b) — Users prohibited from publishing content that is obscene, defamatory, or violates others' rights
Intellectual Property
All content published on SamacharSetu — including articles, photographs, graphics, logos, videos, and the site design — is the exclusive intellectual property of SamacharSetu Media or its licensed contributors, protected under Indian and international copyright law.
You may share links to our articles and quote brief excerpts (up to 50 words) with proper attribution. Any other reproduction, redistribution, or commercial use requires prior written permission from SamacharSetu Media.
- Section 13, Copyright Act, 1957 — Literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works (including news articles and photographs) are protected by copyright
- Section 51, Copyright Act, 1957 — Copyright infringement occurs when protected work is used without licence or authorisation
- Section 63, Copyright Act, 1957 — Infringement is a criminal offence — imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years and fine ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh
- Section 2(c), Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 — "Periodical" includes digital news publications registered with the Press Registrar
- Article 19(1)(g), Constitution of India — Right to carry on any trade or profession (subject to reasonable restrictions) protects our publishing activity
Press Freedom & Editorial Independence
SamacharSetu operates as an independent digital news publication. Our editorial content is protected by the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression. We adhere to journalistic ethics and the self-regulatory standards of the Press Council of India.
Our reporting may include criticism of public figures, government actions, policies, and institutions. Such criticism is protected speech under Indian constitutional law. However, we do not publish content that amounts to defamation, incitement to violence, or disclosure of information that prejudices national security.
- Article 19(1)(a), Constitution of India — Freedom of speech and expression, including freedom of the press (Indian Express Newspapers v. Union of India, 1985)
- Article 19(2), Constitution of India — Reasonable restrictions in the interest of sovereignty, security, public order, decency, contempt of court, and defamation
- Press Council Act, 1978 — Press Council of India can censure publications for violating journalistic standards
- IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, Part III — Digital news publishers must observe the Code of Ethics; grievance mechanism required
- Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras, AIR 1950 SC 124 — Freedom of press is essential to political liberty and is protected under Part III
User Submissions
If you submit content to us — including letters, news tips, comments, or story suggestions — you grant SamacharSetu a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, edit, publish, and reproduce that content in any format.
You represent that any submitted content is your original work, does not violate any third-party rights, is not defamatory or obscene, and is not in violation of any Indian law. SamacharSetu reserves the right to reject or remove any submission at its sole discretion.
- Section 17, Copyright Act, 1957 — Author is the first owner of copyright; by submitting, you confirm authorship and grant us a licence
- Sections 499–500, IPC, 1860 — Defamation is both a civil wrong and a criminal offence; you are liable for defamatory content you submit
- Section 67, IT Act, 2000 — Publishing obscene material electronically — imprisonment up to 5 years and fine up to ₹10 lakh
- Section 79, IT Act, 2000 — Safe harbour protection for intermediaries who act expeditiously on notice of unlawful content
Prohibited Content & Activities
In accordance with Indian law and our editorial standards, the following are strictly prohibited on or through SamacharSetu's platform:
- Content threatening national integrity, sovereignty, or security of India
- Content promoting or inciting terrorism, violence, or communal disharmony
- Obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material
- Content that violates the dignity of women
- Fake news, misinformation, or content designed to deceive readers
- Content that amounts to contempt of court
- Any content violating the POCSO Act, 2012 or involving exploitation of minors
- Sections 153A & 295A, IPC, 1860 — Promoting religious/communal enmity and deliberate acts outraging religious feelings
- Section 67A & 67B, IT Act, 2000 — Publishing sexually explicit material and child pornography electronically — imprisonment up to 7 years
- Section 354A & 354D, IPC, 1860 — Sexual harassment and stalking, including online
- Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 — Publishing content that scandalises courts or interferes with administration of justice
- POCSO Act, 2012 — Any content sexually exploiting minors — imprisonment up to life
Third-Party Links
SamacharSetu may contain links to external websites for reference or context. We have no control over the content, privacy practices, or reliability of these external sites. Inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement. We encourage you to review the terms and privacy policies of third-party sites you visit.
- Section 79, IT Act, 2000 — SamacharSetu, as an intermediary, is not liable for third-party information or links it hosts, provided it acts on lawful takedown notices
- Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, (2015) 5 SCC 1 — Only specific unlawful content as per Section 69A may be directed to be blocked; intermediaries not otherwise liable
Limitation of Liability
SamacharSetu strives for accuracy and timeliness. However, we make no warranties — express or implied — regarding completeness, accuracy, or fitness for a particular purpose of any content on this site.
To the maximum extent permitted by Indian law, SamacharSetu Media and its editors, authors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of or inability to use this website.
- Section 73, Indian Contract Act, 1872 — Compensation for loss arising from breach of contract — only reasonably foreseeable losses are recoverable
- Section 14, Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — Remedies available to consumers for deficiency in service (note: news content is generally not a consumer "service")
- Section 43, IT Act, 2000 — Civil liability for damage to computer systems; not applicable to lawful use of the website
Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in Bihar, India.
For disputes relating to press content, you may also approach the Press Council of India. For digital media grievances under IT Rules 2021, our designated Grievance Officer (see Privacy Policy) shall be the first point of contact.
- Sections 15–20, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — Jurisdiction of civil courts; suit to be filed in the court of lowest grade competent to try it
- Section 16, IT Act, 2000 — The Central Government issues orders under the Act; disputes heard by designated Adjudicating Officers
- Press Council Act, 1978, Section 14 — The Press Council may warn, admonish, or censure a newspaper or news agency on complaint of a member of the public
- Article 226, Constitution of India — High Courts have power to issue writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights
- Article 32, Constitution of India — Right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights