law: Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
  8. Power to make rules for the conduct of telegraphs
  (1) The Central Government may, from time to time, by
  
  notification in the Official Gazette, make rules consistent with this Act for
  
  the conduct of all or any telegraphs, established, maintained or worked by the
  
  government or by persons licensed under this Act.
  (2) Rules under this section may provide for all or any of the
  
  following among other matters, that is to say,-
  (a) the rates at which, and the other
  
  conditions and restrictions subject to which, messages shall be transmitted 10[within
  
  India];
  (b) the precautions to be taken for preventing
  
  the improper interception or disclosure of messages;
  (c) the period for which, and the conditions
  
  subject to which, telegrams and other documents belonging to, or being in the
  
  custody of, telegraph officers shall be preserved;
  (d) the fees to be charged for searching for
  
  telegrams or other documents in the custody of any telegraph officer;
   11  [(e) the conditions and restrictions
  
  subject to which any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for telegraphic
  
  communication shall be established, maintained, worked, repaired, transferred,
  
  shifted, withdrawn or disconnected;]
   12  [(ee) the charges in respect of any
  
  application for providing any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus;]
  (f) the charges in respect of-
  (i) the establishment, maintenance, working,
  
  repair, transfer or shifting of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus;
  (ii) the services of operator operating such
  
  line, appliances or apparatus;
  (g) the matters in connection with the
  
  transition from a system where under rights and obligations relating to the
  
  establishment, maintenance, working repair, transfer or shifting of any
  
  telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for telegraphic communication attach by
  
  virtue of any agreement to a system where under such rights and obligations attach
  
  by virtue of rules made under this section;
  (h) the time at which, the manner in which,
  
  the conditions under which and the person by whom the rates, charges and fee
  
  mentioned in this sub-section shall be paid and the furnishing of security for
  
  the payment of such rates, charges and fees;
  (i) the payment of compensation to the Central
  
  Government for any loss incurred in connection with the provision of any
  
  telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the benefit of any person-
  (a) where the line, appliance or apparatus is,
  
  after it has been connected for use, given up by that person before the
  
  expiration of the period fixed by these rules, or
  (b) where the work done for the purpose of
  
  providing the line, appliance, or apparatus is, before it is connected for use,
  
  rendered abortive by some act or omission on the part of that person;
  (j) the principles according to which and the
  
  authority by whom the compensation referred to in clause (i) shall be assessed;
  
  
   13  [(jj) the qualifications to be
  
  possessed and the examinations, if any, to be passed by the persons employed
  
  for the establishment, maintenance or working of any telegraph and the fees to
  
  be charged for admission to such examinations;] and
  (k) any other matter for which operation is
  
  necessary for the proper and efficient conduct of all or any telegraph under
  
  this Act.]
  (3) When making rules for the conduct of any telegraph
  
  established, maintained or worked by any person licensed under this Act, the
  
  Central Government may by the rules prescribe fines for any breach of the same:
  
  
  PROVIDED that the fines so prescribed shall not exceed
  
  the following limits, namely,-
  (i) when the person licensed under this Act is punishable for
  
  the breach, one thousand rupees, and in the case of a continuing breach a
  
  further fine of two hundred rupees for every day after the first during the
  
  whole or any part of which the breach continues;
  (ii) when a servant of the person so licensed, or any other
  
  person, is punishable for the breach, one-fourth of the amounts specified in
  
  clause (i).
   11  [(4) Nothing in this section or in any rules made
  
  hereunder shall be construed as-
  (a) precluding the Central Government from
  
  entering into an agreement with a person for the establishment, maintenance and
  
  working by that government on terms and conditions specified in the agreement,
  
  of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the purpose of affording
  
  means of telegraphic communication, where having regard to the number of the
  
  lines, appliance or apparatus required by that person for telegraphic
  
  communication, it is necessary or expedient to enter into such agreement with
  
  him, or
  (b) subjecting the Central Government to any
  
  obligation to provide any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the
  
  purpose of affording means of telegraphic communication.
   13  [(5) Every rule made under this section shall be laid as
  
  soon as may be after it is made before each House of Parliament while it is in
  
  session for a total period of thirty days 14[which may be comprised
  
  in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry
  
  of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions
  
  aforesaid,] both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both
  
  Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have
  
  effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so
  
  however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to
  
  the validity of anything previously done under that rule]].