“Banning Knowledge? The Delhi High Court’s Crackdown on Shadow Libraries and the Future of Research in India”
A Courtroom Verdict with Far-Reaching Ripples
On 23rd August 2025, a decision that would change how information is accessed in India shook the halls of India's research institutes. Within twenty-four hours, the Delhi High Court mandated that the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ban access to Sci-Hub, Sci-Net, Library Genesis (LibGen), and its mirror sites. Many saw the order as a devastating blow to the fragile ecosystem of knowledge in a nation where access to scholarly literature is already extremely unequal. For others, it was the result of years of legal battle against websites accused of systemic copyright infringement. Elsevier, Wiley Periodicals, and the American Chemical Society were among the publishers who initially petitioned the court in 2020, claiming that shadow libraries were devaluing intellectual property and making money off from infringement. Alexandra Elbakyan, the founder of Sci-Hub, had promised the court that no new copyright information would be made available throughout the protracted legal battle. However, the court adopted a harsh stance after learning that publications from 2022 were still available, concluding that Elbakyan had committed contempt and that blocking was both appropriate and necessary.
The Black Market in Academic Papers and why publishers are spooked?
On the surface, the case could appear to be a typical copyright protection dispute. At another level, however, it draws attention to a more general and unsolved global conflict: how to strike a balance between the rights of publishers and the universal right to knowledge and education. The last 10 years have seen a significant controversy surrounding the shadow libraries, particularly Sci-Hub and LibGen. Carrying millions of research papers, journals, and books across borders and boundaries, they are the academic community's unseen veins. Academic papers are sold illegally out of intellectual necessity rather than wanton enjoyment, unlike pirated movies or counterfeit designer items, which are motivated by frivolous consumption. Journals that are more expensive than institutional budgets, libraries that cannot afford large subscriptions, and individuals who must spend thousands of rupees for a single article are just a few examples of the structural hurdles that researchers must overcome in order to use the internet. Beyond just disseminating papers, shadow libraries exposed the weaknesses of an academic publishing system where knowledge produced and analyzed mostly with public dollars is hidden behind high paywalls.
For publishers, it poses a danger to their survival. It is more than simply a financial annoyance. Their business strategy relies on exclusivity and is reliant on subscriptions, which may cost thousands of rupees for a single journal over the course of a year. company pricing power vanishes as soon as research articles are freely circulated beyond company walls. They fear that the economics of their whole sector will be destroyed if an open access culture becomes the norm. However, this fear clashes with another reality: shadow libraries are a need for researchers in countries like India, not a luxury. The Delhi High Court's decision is of unmatched significance because of this conflict of interest between academics who are determined to acquire the information they need and commercial publishers who are determined to safeguard their profits.
Academic Suffocation: Indian Researchers React and Civil Societies stepping in
This restriction is like intellectual strangling for Indian scholars. Sites like Sci-Hub and LibGen have been the only reliable sources of information on global research in hundreds of provincial universities with little funding and libraries that lack even the most basic journals. To organize her thesis, a PhD student in sociology at a regional institution may require dozens of recent journal papers. Without Sci-Hub, she would have to forgo entire research lines, rely on unfinished personal networks abroad, or spend exorbitant sums out of her own funds. Removing these resources is not just a hassle for young researchers, who are often the first in their families to pursue academia; it might limit their intellectual horizons and hinder their professional advancement. Scholars in India expressed their sorrow on social media after the court's decision, with many claiming that it was a death knell to the idea of equal access to information.
Not just individuals have opposed the prohibition. In their involvement in the case, public interest groups such as the Delhi Science Forum and the Society for Knowledge Commons have argued that fair dealing protections for research and education are included in India's own Copyright Act and should be interpreted broadly to protect access. Their stance is clear-cut: access to information should not be restricted based on financial means or institutional standing if it is a public good.
In a country that aspires to be a knowledge economy but is currently dealing with serious inequities in its educational system, the concept strikes a deep chord. The prohibition, according to the critics, threatens to create a two-tiered system in which most universities, particularly those in poorer states, would still be excluded while priority institutions like the IITs and AIIMS will continue to be allowed to subscribe to top publishers.
India’s Expanding Research Landscape and what India must do?
Given how rapidly India's research community is expanding, this sense of isolation is even more astounding. With over 900 institutions, tens of thousands of PhD students, and aspirations to establish India as a global knowledge economy, the demand for academic resources is enormous. However, there are still far too few facilities to meet that requirement. Even prestigious universities find it difficult to renew access to prestigious journals; most universities cannot afford full subscriptions. Shadow libraries have filled a significant void in this regard. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that many Indian academics oppose the prohibition of such websites because they see them as hesitant defenders of intellectual equality rather than as thieves of intellectual property. However, how India must address the structural inequalities that make shadow libraries necessary is the real concern, not whether they are good or bad. It is not viable to rely on piracy, and it is not acceptable under the law. India must come up with ways to guarantee that scholarly content is made accessible at fair costs if it is to preserve its research future without sacrificing its legal commitments. Important actions include investing in local journals to reduce reliance on pricey international publishers, ensuring open access to government-funded research, and fortifying indigenous licensing consortia like e-ShodhSindhu.
Between Law and Justice
Thus, the Delhi High Court's ruling serves as a warning as well as an opportunity. It clearly illustrates the societal consequences of an unjust system while also acting as a reminder of the legal need for protecting intellectual property. The court may have forced the government to act, but it has also thoughtlessly brought up a more significant issue: what does it mean to democratize knowledge in the twenty-first century? Banning or ignoring copyright is not the only option. It must be in a compromise that respects the publishers' rights while allowing students in Patna or Guwahati to have access to the same corpus of knowledge as their Boston or Berlin peers.
References:
Bar & Bench. (2025, August 23). Delhi High Court orders blocking of Sci-Hub and Sci-Net in copyright infringement case. Retrieved from
https://www.barandbench.com
Outlook India. (2025, August 24). Delhi High Court orders blocking of Sci-Hub, Sci-Net and mirror websites. Retrieved from
https://www.outlookindia.com
TRT World. (2025, August). India’s researchers face crisis as Sci-Hub ban looms. Retrieved from
https://www.trtworld.com
Scroll.in. (2025, August 23). Delhi HC orders blocking of Sci-Hub mirror domains. Retrieved from
https://scroll.in
Medianama. (2024). Delhi HC lawsuit against Sci-Hub and LibGen. Retrieved from
https://www.medianama.com
The New Indian Express. (2025, August 24). Online piracy: Delhi HC asks government to block Sci-Hub and LibGen. Retrieved from
https://www.newindianexpress.com
SpicyIP Blog. (2025, August). Sci-Hub now completely blocked in India: implications for research. Retrieved from
https://spicyip.com