I&B Ministry
MIB halts release of revised broadcasting services bill
Mumbai: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided not to release a new draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill at this time. According to recent media reports, official sources from the MIB have indicated that there is no immediate need for this legislation and it has been put on hold.
The Ministry had initially planned to issue a revised draft following varied feedback on the existing proposal, especially concerning the regulation of online content creators through licensing or registration. To address these concerns, MIB extended the feedback deadline to 15 October 2024 and intended to publish a new draft afterward. However, various media reports state that the government is now shifting its focus towards the Digital India Act to address these regulatory issues instead of pursuing further revisions of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
Since taking office in June, I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has voiced reservations about the bill and has reportedly criticised the drafting process, according to sources. In fact, Vaishnaw had recently told The Hindu: “We are very open minded, very flexible and want to make sure that whatever we do, we do after taking all the diverse views into consideration.”
The bill would have required OTT broadcasting service operators and digital news broadcasters to notify the government of their operations, including subscriber and viewer numbers, within one month of the act’s publication. Social media intermediaries would also have needed to ensure compliance with all act requirements. It was intended to replace key provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995.
I&B Ministry
MeitY proposes continuous labelling for AI-generated content
Draft IT Rules amendments mandate visible labels, feedback open till May 7, 2026
MUMBAI: If AI is blurring the line between real and rendered, the government wants the label to do the talking non-stop. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed tighter disclosure norms for AI-generated content, signalling a sharper regulatory push on transparency across digital platforms.
Under draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the Ministry has moved to strengthen how such content is identified. The key shift lies in Rule 3, sub-rule (3), clause (a), sub-clause (ii), where the earlier requirement of “prominent visibility” is being replaced with a stricter mandate labels must now remain “continuous and clearly visible” for the entire duration of the content.
In simple terms, no more blink-and-miss disclaimers. If content is AI-generated, the label must stay on screen, start to finish.
The Ministry has also extended the deadline for stakeholder feedback on the proposed changes to May 7, 2026, widening the consultation window as it seeks industry and public input. The move follows earlier consultation papers released on March 30 and April 10, which addressed intermediary compliance and digital media oversight in light of existing advisories and directions.
Alongside the amendments, the government has released multiple documents, including draft rules covering intermediary obligations, artificially generated information and digital media governance, as well as a consolidated version of the IT Rules incorporating the proposed revisions.
The direction of travel is clear. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated and more difficult to distinguish from reality, the regulatory response is shifting from guidance to enforceable visibility.
For platforms and creators alike, the message is straightforward: if it’s generated, it must be declared and not just once, but all the way through.
