I&B Ministry
Telecast ban withheld in two of 31 cases; no IMC recast plan
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said that there have been only two cases in the past two years and the current year where the government has put on hold its orders asking TV channels to prohibit transmission for limited time.
These relate to channel DY 365 for a news broadcast on 12 June 2014 and the NDTV India for a report on 4 January 2016, Naidu told the Parliament. In both cases, he said, the channels had made representations to the ministry which were under consideration.
The minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore, answering a supplementary, said that there was no proposal to re-constitute the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) which already includes representatives from the industry.
DY 365 TV channel telecast news bulletin revealing identity of rape victims in two separate news reports. The matter was placed before the IMC on 13 January 2015 in which a representative of the channel was also afforded an opportunity of personal hearing. IMC recommended that the channel may be taken off air for a day due to multiple violations. With the approval of competent authority, an order dated 26 March 2015 was issued to DY 365. Subsequently, the channel submitted a representation on 27 March.
NDTV India TV channel telecast a report on Pathankot terrorist attack disclosing sensitive information well beyond the briefing given by the designated officer while the anti-terrorist operations were still under way. The content was found in violation of Rule 6(1)(p) of the Programme Code. The matter was placed before the IMC on 25 July, 2016, in which representative of the channel was also afforded an opportunity of a personal hearing. It was recommended that the channel may be taken off air for at least one day keeping in view the gravity of the violation and an order issued on 2 November 2016. Subsequently, the channel submitted a representation dated 7 November 2016 which is pending.
(Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has admitted for hearing a petition by Care World India challenging a week-long telecast prohibition order.)
In reply to another question, Rathore said as many as 31 TV channels had been ordered to stop transmission for periods ranging from one to 60 days since 2005. These include Care World India and AXN two times each, News Time Assam for three news items.
The authority for exercising powers under Cable Act by Central Government or concerned Government/ authorised officers are provided under various sections of the Cable Act and mainly under Section 19 & 20.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
