I&B Ministry
Last date for application in auction of second batch of 266 FM channels in Phase III extended by one week
NEW DELHI: The last date for receipt of applications for the e-auction of the second batch of FM Radio Phase-III channels comprising 266 channels in 92 cities has been extended to 8 August 2016 by 5 pm.
Similarly in an amendment issued today, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has extended the last date for issuing clarifications to 26 July 2016, Earlier, these dates were 1 August and 21 July 2016 respectively.
The auctions, which include 227 channels in 69 fresh cities and 39 channels in 23 existing cities which had remained unsold as there were no bids, are to be held around mid-September this year.
Changes in Networth Clause
The Ministry also made some changes in the networth requirements of applicants, which can be seen on its website mib.nic.in. Essentially, this does away with networth till 30 June 2016 but remains confined to three years or from incorporation till 31 March 3016. However, provisional financial statement will have to be given till 30 June 2016.
Recent increase in FDI increase included
Additionally, the Ministry made public some queires in the NIA and their answers from the Ministry. Among other clarifications, the Ministry said that the FDI Cap of 26% prescribed under FM Radio Phase III Policy guidelines of 25 July 2011 were being raised to 49% in accordance with the Ministry order of 21 July 2016.
As in the first stage, the e-auctions will be conducted by C1 India Private Ltd and the process will commenced on 20 June with the notice inviting applications (NIA).
A Pre Bid conference was held on 11 July 2016 at 2:30 PM and the last date for seeking clarifications on NIA was 14 July 2016 by 12:00 noon.
The last date for submission of Applications will be followed on 16 August with the publication of ownership details of applicants. The Bidder Ownership Compliance Certificate will be issued on 22 August 2016.
The Pre-Qualification of Bidders will be done by 1 September 2016 or completion of requisite formalities whichever is later, followed four to five days later by a Mock Auction.
The main auction will start four days after the mock auction.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
