there still is a rule where you can't entering the country twice within a certain number of days without getting prior permission

This is by far the stupidest immigration policy in a large list of stupid immigration policies that have been passed. I know a lot of people affected by this crap. This affects tourist visas and so, in foreign high commissions, the visa officers will literally tell you how to cheat the system (by applying for a different type of visa, mostly).

IIT students were arbitrarily limited in the number of hours they could spend online because some administrator thought they should get out more

Whippersnappers. Back in my day, we had to cycle out to the nearby village to a cybercafe to get internet access. :)

(I actually graduated just the year before they wired all the rooms)