I&B Ministry
75 violation cases by TV channels in 3 years; Rs 90 crore to prop monitoring: Jaitley
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley has denied that there is any proposal is under consideration for setting up a separate mechanism for censorshjip of television programmes on the lines of the Central Board of Film Certification.
While stressing that the present mechanisms within the ministry are adequate deal with television channels, he said that action had been taken against television channels in 75 cases of violation of programme or Advertisement Codes from 2013 to 2015. He said no action had been initiated against any channels during 2016.
He said the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 under which the programmes telecast on private satellite TV channels are regulated does not provide for pre-censorship of content broadcast on TV channels. The Act and the rules of 1994 provide for a Programme Code.
All programmes and advertisements telecast on TV channels are required to be in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code and Advertising Code available on ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.
These codes contain a whole range of principles to be followed by the TV channels for all kinds of programmes including reality shows. Action is taken whenever violation of these codes is brought to the notice of the ministry.
The I and B ministry set up a state-of-art Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) in 2008 to look over the content telecast on 50 private satellite television channels on a 24×7 basis. This was gradually increased to 100 and then to 300.
Under the 12th plan (2012-2017), a plan scheme “Strengthening of EMMC” has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 90 crores to increase the monitoring capacity to 1500 TV channels by the end of Plan period. Accordingly, EMMC is presently monitoring 600 TV channels while work is on to increase the capacity further to 900 TV channels shortly.
The Iand B ministry had constituted an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) to regulate content on satellite TV channels on 25 April and amended it in 2011 to include a representative from the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry to accord focused attention to consumer related issues. It is headed by the Additional Secretary in the I and B with seven representatives of different ministries as well as a nominee of the Advertising Standards Council of India. The Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) is the Member Convener
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.
