The controversy surrounding Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Deputy Municipal Commissioner (special) Nidhi Chaudhari, who was transferred on Monday as punishment for allegedly tweeting an anti-Mahatma Gandhi statement, has given rise to speculation that some specific rules might be framed at the all-India level, to regulate the social media behaviour of officers.

Chaudhari has been accused of flouting the All India Civil Services (Conduct) Rules - 1968 that deal with public media. The old legal framework does not have specific provisions to regulate public servants’ behaviour on the digital form of new media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs (personal), WhatsApp, etc.