Indian regulators have effectively blocked Free Basics, a controversial Facebook online service that sought to bring free access to a limited version of the social network and other sites to the country’s poorest people. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) on Monday outlawed charging different prices for downloading different kinds of internet content.

The ruling, which regulators said was guided by the principles of net neutrality, is a major setback for Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook chief executive, who had lobbied hard for the programme as part of a campaign to expand Internet access to billions of people around the world. Yet, it is a victory for critics who argued that Facebook’s Free Basics programme gave an unfair advantage to some internet services over others.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said he would work to make Free Basics legal.

“While we’re disappointed with today’s decision,” he wrote. “I want to personally communicate that we are committed to keep working to break down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world.
“Connecting India is an important goal we won’t give up on, because more than a billion people in India don’t have access to the internet. We know that connecting them can help lift people out of poverty, create millions of jobs and spread education opportunities.”
The World Wide Web Foundation, founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the web, welcomed the regulator’s decision.
“The message is clear: We can’t create a two-tier Internet – one for the haves, and one for the have-nots,” said programme manager Renata Avila.
“We must connect everyone to the full potential of the open Web. We call on companies and the government of India to work with citizens and civil society to explore new approaches to connect everyone as active users, whether through free data allowances, public access schemes or other innovative approaches.”

(Source:-  http://www.geekboy.co/news/india-blocks-facebooks-free-basics-app/)