I&B Ministry
Independent cable operator to install CAS over his network
NEW DELHI: Amidst the prevailing confusion on conditional access, comes a claim from an independent cable operator in Delhi that he is ready to deploy CAS over his network.
He also claims that at present a survey is being carried out amongst his cable subscribing base of approximately 6,000. “My equipment for CAS is in place as is the subscriber management system,” claimed Vikki Chowdhry, owner of Home Cable Networks and the president of National Cable & Telecom Association.
Chowdhry said that an investment of one million rupees has already been made on servers and other head-end equipment until now.
According to Chowdhry, the technology for CAS has been supplied by a Singapore-based firm called SPL, which also does R&D work in this field. The company would also be supplying the digital boxes.
Chowdhry, who services cable subscribers in some of the upmarket residential areas of Delhi, feels that SPL is designing a chip from his network that would enable tracking of time spent by a cable subscriber on each channel accessed at the home end. “If this technology is successfully implemented, the firms doing the ratings might as well shut shop,” he claimed.
Currently 10 channels are ready to be put on Home Cable’s network through CAS. Chowdhry is trying out a business plan to sell the digital boxes to subscribers that may cost slightly over Rs 3,000 to a consumer. But unless the consumer buys the boxes, the monthly rent for the box would be around Rs 180, he said.
How serious is Chowdhry? He claims that a form has been sent out amongst some of his subscribers to list out their preferences where various channels are concerned.
I&B Ministry
MeitY & Reliance Foundation launch e-SafeHER cyber training for Women
Programme aims to train one million rural women in cyber safety over three years
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with Reliance Foundation and C-DAC Hyderabad to launch ‘e-SafeHER’, a nationwide cyber security awareness programme aimed at empowering one million women across rural India.
Anchored under the Information Security Education and Awareness Programme, the initiative will focus on building digital confidence and safe online practices among women who are increasingly using digital platforms for financial transactions, livelihoods and essential services.
The programme will be rolled out through a community-led model, with training delivered via women’s self-help groups and grassroots networks. C-DAC Hyderabad will develop and localise training content, while Reliance Foundation will drive on-ground implementation using its rural outreach platforms.
Speaking on the launch, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan said, “e-SafeHER is an exciting opportunity to bring together knowledge and collaboration to build a cyber secure Bharat. Through this initiative, women from even the remotest regions will be empowered to participate safely in the digital ecosystem.”
Echoing this, Reliance Foundation director Isha Ambani said the initiative aims to equip women with the skills needed to navigate the online world safely. She added that the goal is to enable one million “Cyber Sakhis” who can confidently adopt digital tools to improve their lives and livelihoods.
The programme will begin with pilot training in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, before scaling nationwide through a phased approach. It will use multilingual content, audio-visual modules and blended learning formats to ensure accessibility and engagement.
Designed for long-term impact, e-SafeHER will be integrated into existing digital literacy and women’s empowerment programmes, avoiding the need for parallel infrastructure. The initiative also aims to drive measurable behavioural change, from improved awareness of cyber risks to safer digital transactions.
By combining policy, technology and grassroots reach, the programme looks to bridge not just the digital divide, but the digital safety gap, ensuring that inclusion goes hand in hand with security.
