I&B Ministry
Mobile Apps to help passengers for railways, taxi services
NEW DELHI: Despite fears that the growth of Internet is not as fast as it should be, social media and apps appear to be pervading all spheres of live.
Taking a cue from the heavy dependence of social media and mobile on people’s lives, the Railway Ministry has launched a portal on Complaint Management in English and Hindi to address needs of the consumers. However, the mobile application is available only in English on Android platform.
The public complaints and suggestions are being monitored on a real time basis. Necessary instructions have been issued to concerned officials to finalize the complaints at the earliest. However, no time frame has been set to redress the complaints.
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha told the Parliament that bona fide passengers could also send their suggestions through this newly launched portal.
The details of the Railway Mobile App have been given wide publicity through Indian Railways’ sharing details on its social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Road Transport & Highways Ministry has finalised a draft advisory for the State Governments in consultation with stakeholders with regard to taxi-hailing services using mobile apps.
The taxi hailing services or the on-demand transport aggregating services in question are covered under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The State Governments have the power to regulate such service providers under Section 93, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways Hon Radhakrishnan told Parliament today.
I&B Ministry
India tightens anti-piracy law, blocks sites and Telegram channels
New rules bring jail terms, fines and faster takedowns of illegal content
NEW DELHI: The Government of India has stepped up its fight against film piracy, invoking stricter provisions under the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 to crack down on unauthorised recording and distribution.
The law now imposes tougher penalties, including jail terms ranging from three months to three years and fines starting at Rs. 3 lakh, which can go up to 5 per cent of a film’s production cost. The provisions target both illegal recording in cinemas and unauthorised online transmission.
In a fresh enforcement push, authorities have notified the Telegram platform to act against piracy, leading to the identification of 3,142 channels allegedly distributing copyrighted content without permission. In parallel, access to around 800 piracy websites has been blocked through internet service providers.
The action has been taken under the Information Technology Act 2000, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove unlawful content. The framework is further reinforced by the Information Technology Rules 2021, requiring platforms to act swiftly when notified of violations.
An institutional mechanism is also in place, allowing copyright holders and authorised representatives to file complaints through designated nodal officers. Once verified, these complaints trigger takedown notices to intermediaries for disabling access to infringing content.
The update was shared in Parliament by Government of India minister of state information and broadcasting l murugan in response to a query from Parimal Nathwani.
The government’s latest move signals a sharper, more coordinated approach to tackling piracy across both physical and digital channels. For the film industry, it is a step towards protecting revenues, while for viewers, it reinforces the shift towards legitimate content consumption.
