I&B Ministry
ABU to hold seminars on spectrum regulations
MUMBAI: Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is organising a series of spectrum-related events in June to generate new synergies between spectrum regulators and broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region.
The ABU is also providing specialist information on broadcasting spectrum to its’ members.
The Asia-Pacific Technical Regulators-Broadcasters’ Forum, to be held on 8 June in Kuala Lumpur, will address regulatory issues of a technical nature with a regional perspective that concern new technologies, services, spectrum and new players emerging in the broadcasting field.
Says ABU head of transmission technology and spectrum Sharad Sadhu in an official release, “The event has been put together with the assistance of several national spectrum regulators in the Asia Pacific. The ABU is organising such an event for the first time and we expect it to become an annual feature.”
The Asia-Pacific Technical Regulators-Broadcasters’ Forum will be followed by the ABU Preparatory Seminar on World Radio Communication Conference -07 (WRC) from 9 to 11 June.
This seminar will address pressing issues in connection with the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radiocommunication Conference 2007.
The seminar will expose participants to spectrum-related studies being carried out in various parts of the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition to these two events, in conjunction with BroadcastAsia in Singapore on 13 to 17 June, the ABU is organising a broadcasting spectrum usage workshop on 15 June, which is to be chaired by ABU technical director Wayne Heads.
The workshop aims to expose broadcasters and other industry players to the impact of new services on broadcasting spectrum and regional planning processes relating to spectrum usage, among other things.
It will also focus on the types of frequency bands used for broadcasting services as well as international regulations, governing the use of broadcasting spectrum.
I&B Ministry
Chanchal Kumar appointed MIB secretary
1992-batch officer shifts from DoNER as Sanjay Jaju heads the north-east ministry
New Delhi: The government has rejigged its top bureaucracy, appointing Chanchal Kumar as secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, replacing Sanjay Kumar Jaju in a swift senior-level switch.
Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, moves from the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), where he had been serving as secretary. He steps into MIB as Jaju exits to take charge as secretary, DoNER.
Kumar is no stranger to handling multiple mandates. In December 2025, while at DoNER, he briefly held additional charge as secretary in the Department of Telecommunications during Neeraj Mittal’s leave from December 12 to December 21, ensuring continuity at a critical time.
Jaju, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, had taken over as secretary, MIB in February 2024, succeeding Apurva Chandra, who moved to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. His tenure combined administrative continuity with a sharper policy pitch on trust in India’s fast-evolving media and advertising landscape.
Speaking at the AdTrust Summit 2026 organised by the Advertising Standards Council of India, Jaju warned that misleading promotions risk eroding public trust even as digital platforms expand reach for businesses, startups and creators. He flagged rising threats from financial scams, deceptive investment schemes and fraudulent job advertisements targeting vulnerable users.
While noting that commercial speech is protected under freedom of expression, Jaju argued that misleading advertising must face regulatory scrutiny. He pushed for a shift in industry priorities—from scale to credibility, authenticity and transparency—especially in disclosures and sponsored content. Truthfulness, accountability and safeguards for vulnerable audiences, he said, must anchor the ecosystem.
Jaju’s move to DoNER and Kumar’s arrival at MIB signal a calibrated reshuffle at the top—continuity in governance, but with a clear message: credibility is the new currency.
