I&B Ministry
Paradigm shift in I&B Ministry to digitise: Arun Jaitley
NEW DELHI: Information & Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley today said there has been a paradigm shift to digitise various Government Publications in order to reach out to online readers globally.
Releasing the print and digital versions of India 2016 and Bharat 2016, the Minister said digital version of the books will be 25 per cent cheaper than print versions and will also help in saving paper consumption. Jaitley also stated that Annual Reference Book was an asset and a repository of information for all stakeholders.
Additionally, the Minister launched the online payment service and subscription of popular journals and Employment News of the Publications Division through Bharat Kosh, Non Tax Receipt portal of the Finance Ministry.
While launching the online subscription service, he said that the objective of technology was to provide solutions to complicated issues. He mentioned that Bharat Kosh portal would enable direct transfer of money received from the sale of journals to the Consolidated Fund of India.
Jaitley also launched the service of sale of printed version of the prominent books of the division through e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart. The Reference Book India 2016 along with 49 other important titles would now be available on Flipkart.
I&B Secretary Sunil Arora said that India Reference Book was a signature book brought out by Publications Division. It was a ready reference for academicians and students preparing for various competitive examinations and should be a must read for anyone who wanted authentic and credible information about India.
The digital versions of the Publications Division books would be available on Kobo for online readers.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
