The rumors of TikTok being back in India have sparked widespread discussion where former users are claiming its return as they could access its website. However, the government of India clarified yesterday that the ban isn’t lifted and any such information surfacing the web about TikTok is misleading and false. 

The rumor is said to be started by some Indian users who noticed the TikTok website (which was banned for the past 5 years) was accessible. This sparked the wave of speculation on social media and new portals that made a little speculation  a hot discussion urging the government to step up promptly and clarify the claims. 

The government sources from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology gave the official statement on TikTok back in India, making it clear that the TikTok app remains banned, and no official “unblocking” or return order has been issued.

As per TOI’s article, the TOI team tried accessing TikTok, the website opened (could access the homepage only) but the app remained unavailable. When the team members of edinbox tried, we were prompted to an error page stating “this site can’t be reached.”  This clarifies that any website access like that of AliExpress, TikTok, shein, appears to be a technical glitch and does not equate to the app’s official lift of the ban.

This Chinese application was banned in June 2020 in India and 58 other countries due to border tension. The government gave 3 prominent reasons for the ban of TikTok App: 

  • Risk of national security
  • Data privacy breaches 
  • Criminal activities and public threats 

Experts reported that this app was leaking data to servers outside India, especially China. This was compromising millions of users’ personal and sensitive data, which is why putting a ban became necessary. 

Fast forward to 2025, with India-China diplomatic relations showing improvement, including planned visits by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China in late August 2025, the speculation of TikTok returning is buzzing. However, as of now the officials maintain that the ban on TikTok still stands and emphasised on dismissing any claims of TikTok's return. 

In a historic legislative move, the Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. This bill is aiming to regulate India’s fast-growing digital gaming sector. The bill introduces a nationwide ban on real money gaming platforms such as fantasy sports and poker, while officially recognizing and promoting esports and safe online social gaming. The Rajya Sabha followed suit by passing the bill on August 21, 2025.  

Key Highlights of the Online Gaming Bill 2025

Ban on Real Money Gaming

The bill does not allow offering, facilitating, promoting, or advertising online money games. These entail games that involve betting with real money or its equivalent with an aim of gaining financial reward, whether the game is mainly a game of skill or chance. Banks and financial institutions are directed to stop processing transactions for such gaming platforms. Violators will be punished to severe extent with up to three years of jail term and fined up to Rs 1 crore, with higher punishment and jail up to five years to repeat offenders.

Recognition and Marketing of Esports

The bill officially makes esports a valid sports category and the Ministry of Sports will be able to provide regulation, awareness, training academies and development of the industry. The step is to help build an organized, internationally competitive ecosystem of esports in India as it looks forward to 2027, when it will be part of the Olympics.

Marketing of Social and Educational Games

Online social games and educational games that do not require money or yield profits, but do foster entertainment, skill-building, or digital literacy are appreciated and encouraged. These games will be registered and regulated by the government to ensure that the games remain safe and age-appropriate to its users. 

Creation of an Online Gaming Authority

The bill stipulates to establish a central regulatory body to classify online games, to monitor compliance, manage complaints, and to achieve positive growth of the sector. The Authority will facilitate policy backing, track malpractices such as money laundering and fraudulent gaming and regulate the industry on a uniform level.

Increased Investigation Authorities

Police officers are authorized and capable of searching, impounding goods and carrying out arrests without a warrant in instances of infringements. This will make companies and their officers liable at any level unless they establish due diligence.

Why Has the Bill Been Introduced?

The government detected an alarming harm of real money gaming platforms, including: 

  1. Financial loss by users, especially the younger and more economically vulnerable sectors of the population. 
  2. Twenty-plus suicides reportedly linked to online gaming addiction in recent years. 
  3. Risks of money laundering and terrorism financing through unregulated online gaming channels. 
  4. Psychological and social health risks secondary to compulsive gaming. 

These things made it necessary to have a proper legal system for serving the interest of the users and the youth in India.

Industry and Public Responses

The esports industry hailed the bill as an important step toward legalizing esports in India, paving the way to government patronage, infrastructure establishment, and international competition.

Gaming firms with fantasy games and real money gambling faced uncertainty with some expecting to change over to subscriptions or non-financial gaming options. The ban will also affect the major sport sponsorships ratioed to these platforms. 

The implications on sport and economy

Sports franchises such as cricket with hefty sponsorship deals with real money gaming companies will see the changes. Analysts have also suggested that the sports sponsoring sector is likely to adjust and esports non-monetary sporting may emerge as new high-potential growth engines to the sporting industry.

In conclusion, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, is a remarkable effort to balance innovation, entertainment, and public welfare in India's digital gaming space. Through prohibiting dangerous real money games and prioritizing esports and social games, the legislation turns India into a digital gaming responsible player, securing citizens against the danger of taking risks, as well as financial and psychological harm. 

Arya Ojha, a bright and confident student from Gurugram, has taken social media by storm after her impactful speech at the Youth Parliament 2025 held at Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya. Her bold and unashamed speech against the widespread crime of false advertisements and the culture of influencers has strongly touched the youths and the adults alike.

A Bold Stand against Deceptive Advertising

Arya, in her speech, came out straight to address the advertising industry and social media influencers that they advertise suspicious products with fake promises. She made reference to weight-loss supplements that people swear will help them lose weight claiming that they are miracle cures, instant-flavored two-minute noodles, cosmetics such as fairness creams, and online gambling sites mostly recommended by celebrities and whose actual contents have not been thoroughly researched.

Arya was able to point out the immorality of promotions of that sort and show how the end users including children who take recommendations easily are deceived to purchase products that do not deliver or, even worse, products that are detrimental to health and well being. She argued that it is the responsibility of influencers and endorsers to sell trusted and safe products instead of adding to a culture of delusion.

Impact and the Wider Implications

There are many discussions about her speech all over the social media urging people to be more careful regarding the commercials they watch and upon what the people base their opinion on. It also served as a reminder that more regulation and ethical standards must be put in place in regards to influencer marketing and advertising claims.

Analysts and social influencers have applauded the move by Arya, noting that her youth-fuelled criticism could not be more topical as digital consumption and influencer promotion remain exponentially rising in India.

The Consumer Awareness Call

Arya also emphasized upon the need for consumer education. She advised fellow citizens, as well as the general population, to be more conscious of advertising gimmicks and to be savvy when considering product assertions before making a purchase. Such awareness is important in an age of digital clutter that contains advertisement-sponsored content to safeguard consumer rights and health.

Arya Ojha’s speech at the Youth Parliament 2025 stands out as a beacon of youth activism tackling pressing contemporary challenges. Her eloquent appeal to honesty, integrity, and accountability in the world of advertising and influencer is not only a wake-up call to advertisers but an important teachable moment to consumers.

As this dialogue keeps expanding, the voice of Arya epitomizes the strength of young citizens to drive transformation in the way products are marketed and promoted that will, ultimately, create a more informed and ethical market.

An online meeting of the education department of Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district on Monday turned shocking when one of the participants inadvertently played an obscene video during the conference on Google Meet. The video conference, which included senior officials like the District Magistrate (DM), was convened to discuss key issues regarding schools in the area and educational administration.

As per sources, the incident happened abruptly when the negotiations were ongoing on raising district education levels. The minute the DM saw the obscene content being displayed on the screen, he immediately stopped the video and showed his obvious displeasure.

Acting swiftly, the DM instructed the Superintendent of Police (SP) to conduct a proper investigation in collaboration with cyber police specialists. Instructions were given to trace:

  1. Which participant was the one playing the video?.
  2. How the security violation happened even after following regular online meeting procedures. 
  3. Whether there was any ill will behind the act.

District education officers present in the meeting made sure that the DM has given strict directions to ensure all subsequent online sessions are safe and closely monitored. Technical security measures are also being examined to avoid similar accidents.

The police in Maharajganj have filed a first information report and cyber cell teams are pursuing the internet lead associated with the obscene video clip.

  1. Impact on Administration: Such incidents disrupt important administrative activities, causing embarrassment and diverting attention from education reforms.
  2. Internet Security During Official Sessions: The case highlights the necessity of more security precautions during government sessions on the internet, especially in counties handling sensitive information.

The Maharajganj authorities have promised citizens that strict action will be taken once the police investigation is conducted. The district administration also instructed all government officials to comply with digital protocols strictly and uphold decorum at official virtual gatherings.

A reel of a woman dancing to a Bollywood song at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) campus in Jaspura, Banda district, Uttar Pradesh has gone viral on social media, prompting a formal investigation by education authorities.

The viral clip features a teacher dancing to the song "Sanchi Kaho" on the school campus. Early accusations are that the reel was filmed at school hours by one of the teachers and uploaded on Instagram and Facebook afterwards. The school, which was a girls' school from Class 1 to Class 12, was said to be running when the clip was taken.

Once the KGBV teacher viral video gained thousands of views, the teacher was criticized by the users and some members of the local community, saying that the material was inappropriate for a school environment. KGBV administration, as per reports, had already cautioned the teacher against recording and posting such videos on campus.

The concerned teacher has responded that the video was for her family and posted on social media in private mode. She has asserted never to have created viral reels intentionally and has shown her dedication towards teaching and students.

Avyaktaram Tiwari, District Banda District Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), confirmed that the complaint regarding the teacher's video had been received. The Block Education Officer (BEO), Abha Agarwal, has been directed to investigate the case and a formal notice has been served to the teacher to put forward her explanation. The inquiry has been made to ascertain whether school rules regarding behavior and the use of mobile phones were breached and whether the teacher's act had any influence on the student community.

Additionally, the students and staff have also raised concern regarding the fact that such reels can tarnish the image of the school and divert students from studies.

KGBV institutions under the Samagra Shiksha scheme provide education to girls belonging to the disadvantaged group, from primary to higher secondary levels. Class as well as hostel facilities are available at the Jaspura campus in Banda where this accident took place.

This KGBV teacher viral video incident is a reminder of ongoing issues for teachers: how to balance personal expression with professional norms in India's increasingly online, social-media-conscious culture. Such incidents prompt debate about proper staff behavior, the place of social media in school environments, and preserving the learning environment. Authorities are actively looking into the incident, and the case is a reminder of the need for reasonable guidelines for online behavior within schools. As the official inquiry continues, the final decision would be made on the basis of the inquiry findings and the response of the teacher. Banda KGBV serves as a cautionary reminder to employees in every Indian school to exercise caution while creating content, especially within school premises, as online activity easily goes viral and comes under the lens.

Making money, side hustle, social media are some commonly used terms and normalized concerns in today’s era. Knowing about monetising the twitter account will pay off well in the coming months. Additionally, twitter (now "X" under Elon Musk), is fast becoming more than a social network, it's also where you can build a personal brand and earn money online. Below is a concise, research-based guide for Indian students who want to earn money from their presence on Twitter.

 

  1. Create a Twitter/X Profile of Value

To make money, you need influence and participation. That is where you begin:

  • Choose your niche: Write about what you know or what you are interested in (e.g., technology, study tips, entertainment, startups, sports, memes, news).
  • Daily post: Share daily tips, news, new ideas, or insights.
  • Participate: Respond to popular hashtags, interact with fellow Indians/influencers, and participate in Twitter Spaces or Communities.
  • Use hashtags wisely: Utilize popular and trending hashtags to reach more.

 

  1. Join Twitter’s Official Monetization Features

  • A. Ad Revenue Sharing ("Ads Revenue Sharing" Program)
    • Twitter/X shares ad revenue with creators on an eligibility basis.
    • To be eligible, your account should:
    • Be subscribed to X Premium (paid monthly feature).
    • Have a minimum of 5 million post impressions within the last 3 months.
    • Pass human review for original, non-violent, non-spam content.
    • At least 18 years old and have a Stripe account for payouts (Stripe is accepted in India).
    • Go to: Monetization > Join Ad Revenue Sharing (through X Premium Settings).

 

  • B. Subscriptions ("Super Follows" rebranded "Subscriptions")
    • Offer high-quality content (premium tweets, Q&A, private Spaces) to subscription-paying followers.
    • Charge your own monthly subscription rate (Twitter makes a commission).
    • Requirements: 500+ followers, recent action in the past 30 days, and 18+ years.
    • Post via Monetization in the Twitter/X sidebar.

 

  1. Brand Promotions and Partnerships

For the ones with a large and relevant audience:

  • Collaborate with brands: Brands will pay you to review their products, offer away products, or review their services.
  • How to obtain deals: Brands come directly with offers via DMs, or you can register with influencer marketing platforms (like Plixxo, Qoruz, or One Impression).
  • Always disclose paid collaborations publicly with #ad or #sponsored according to ASCI and Twitter policy.

 

  1. Affiliate Marketing

Post product affiliate links (Amazon, Flipkart, Skillshare, ed-tech, etc.) and earn a commission on every sale through your link. Couple affiliate offers with useful tips, authentic reviews, or "Top 5" lists to generate clicks.

 

  1. Sell Your Own Products or Services
  • Market e-books, study guides, courses online, or tutoring services.
  • Offer freelance services (programming, design, writing) and make your Twitter a mini-portfolio.
  • Utilize platforms such as Instamojo (India-friendly) or Gumroad for easy payment.

 

  1. Try Twitter Spaces and Communities

Host or participate in Twitter Spaces (live audio discussions) on trending subjects, some creators now host ticketed paid Spaces. Gain knowledge; when you have a large enough audience, brands will compensate you to host or facilitate conversations.

 

  1. Use Comment Feature

Build your presence through commenting. Let X users become familiar with your page/account so as to become a sought-after influencer like Orry. 

 

Exclusive Tips For Indian  Students

  • Start small: Focus on establishing trust and engagement, rather than on the number of followers.
  • Keep abreast: Twitter's monetization policies may shift—visit the official "Monetization" page periodically.
  • Don't spam: Ethics, quality, and consistency are more valuable than instant self-promotion.
  • Payouts: Most Twitter/X payouts (AdShare, Subscriptions) are via Stripe; Indian users will need a PAN, bank account, and GST details for regular compliance.

 

Earning money on Twitter is possible in India provided one does it creatively, with patience, and with a view to generating real value. Start from what you know, engage with your followers, and try out different opportunities. Twitter/X is no longer a platform to debate, but a real platform for Indian students to earn money online.

 

FAQs

 

Can under-18 students earn money on Twitter? 

No, official programs that you sign up for must be 18+. But you can start building your presence and skills early. 

 

Does Twitter pay for each viral tweet directly? 

No. Only paid profiles in the program can earn money through subscriptions or advertisements. 

 

Can you Earn From X?

Yes, there are both direct and indirect ways to earn from X.

 

How much can you make from twitter?

Depending on factors like followers, demand, hype, etc, one can earn from a few thousands to lakhs on X.  

A female Indian recount of an interview experience from the past has turned viral after she wrote about how she had been once taunted by a startup interviewer who expressed doubt that she would ever reach global technology leaders like Google or Meta. The post, which was on social media site X, has received widespread approval and acclaim for its dramatic turnaround.

The participant, identified as Arpita, shared an arduous system design phase at a mid-level startup where she was questioned to handle an extensive set of technical activities. 

"Grilled by a mid-level startup interviewer during a system design phase, he asked me to design infra, estimate CPU price, essentially everything short of building the data centre physically," she posted.

But the interview is said to have sharply turned condescending when she couldn't answer some of the questions. As per her, the interviewer smirked and told her, "This is why people like you won't make it to big companies like Google, Meta."

Arpita, who refused to name the company or the interviewer, dropped a mic in the conclusion by stating that she did make it to Google eventually.

X users supported her and criticized the interviewer in the comments. "Great story. The best revenge is success. Keep it going," a user posted. Another user added, "Wow, legendary backstory. Congrats on making it this far."

"Today most of the interviewer consider attitude and desire to learn since you can't judge person on whole thing in that 10-15 minutes. Congrats for you already reached Google," commented a third user.

Her X bio presently says that she has worked for top firms like Microsoft and Myntra in the past.

In a reflective note, she supplemented: "Not bragging—just wondering why some folks gatekeep based on their own insecurities."

Her tweet has led to discussions surrounding toxic interview cultures within startups, gatekeeping in tech recruitment, and the larger issues candidates—especially women—are facing to navigate the tech sector in India.

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