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Demand for encryption mandate of DD Signals may be rejected

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NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry may reject the demand for setting encryption mandates for Doordarshan‘s terrestrial signals, with consensus eluding the technical sub-group studying the issue.


Meanwhile, the ministry is reported to have widened the mandate before the sub-group to reject encryption or consider other options wherever necessary.


Ministry sources said that a draft report prepared by the sub-group headed by All India Radio director-general Brajeshwar Singh has already been circulated among the members in an effort to arrive at a consensus.

 

While declining to comment on the differences among members of the sub-group, Singh confirmed to indiantelevision.com that a final meeting was expected to take place on 11 April to take a decision on the issue.

 

The sub-group is also reported to have considered the offer made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India before finalizing its draft report in about ten to fifteen days.

BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah had told indiantelevision.com last month that it was prepared to undertake cost of around Rs 20 million for the encryption of all 1,400 Doordarshan transmitters and the work could be completed in about two weeks.

The purpose of setting mandates for the encryption was suggested after private broadcasters said sharing live sporting events with DD leads to piracy. The Union Cabinet had suggested while setting up the sub-group that DD signals should be encrypted in a manner that only DD‘s terrestrial transmitting centres receive the feeds.

During his reply to the discussion on the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Bill, the Minister had said it was not safe for the public broadcaster to de-code all its 1,400 DD transmitters together as it would affect ‘the public service obligation‘ of the channel.

ESPN Star, Nimbus and Zee, among other broadcasters had demanded that DD signals be encrypted as the public broadcaster had a reach spanning a vast area from West Asia to Singapore. The Cabinet had also asked the technical committee to meet the stakeholders ESPN Star, ZEE, Nimbus, and BCCI and find out a common device to protect the signal which cannot be pirated abroad.

 

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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform

Platform says majority of new members now identify as single

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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