Applications
Govt needs 15 days to consider applications for temporary uplinking of live events
NEW DELHI: The Government has said that while it is prepared to give temporary live uplinking permission for major events to private television channels, applications should be sent at least 15 days prior to the date of the event.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has made it clear that it will not entertain applications made less than 15 days before the event.
Temporary uplinking permissions are granted for live uplink of various events from India for a short duration on a case to case basis according to the uplinking guidelines.
The Ministry usually examines details relating to teleport service provider, DSNG service provider, use of satellite, programme details (with timing/duration), uplinking & downlinking locations, etc.
The notice was issued as it had been observed that more often such applications are received in the Ministry at a very short notice. This does not give sufficient time to process such requests and examine the issues involved.
Even after getting permission from the I&B Ministry, the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunications also examines such cases for issue of wireless operating licence. They will also need sufficient time to process the case.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
