I&B Ministry
Broadcasters, teleports warned on forex payments without I&B permission
NEW DELHI: The government has warned broadcast companies and teleport operators who have obtained permission for services of foreign satellites without prior approval of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for remittance in foreign exchange of hiring charges which is mandatory under a circular of the Finance Ministry of September 2004.
Ministry joint secretary (Broadcasting) Supriya Sahu in an advisory reiterated the need and importance for seeking prior approval of the Ministry for making payments in foreign exchange towards hiring of transponders of foreign satellites and complying with the existing provisions of the Reserve Bank of India in this regard.
She stressed that the I&B Ministry is the administrative Ministry for granting permission to remittance of Forex for hiring charges of transponders on foreign satellites by TV channels/ teleports.
She said that in view of this, all broadcast companies and teleport operators are advised to strictly follow the guidelines under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999. Any proposal seeking approval of the Ministry should be submitted at least 30 days in advance of the date before which the payment is due.
She drew attention of the broadcasters to the Reserve Bank of India Circular of October 2004 wherein authorised dealer banks had been apprised that proposals for remittance of hiring charges of transponders by TV channels would require prior approval of the Ministry. The circular also stressed on the authorised dealer banks to bring the contents of the circular to the notice of their constituents and customers for ensuring compliance of the provision of the FEMA Act.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
