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CAS Ordinance may go before cabinet today
MUMBAI: “Banning of ads on pay channels will force several pay channels who have high ad revenues to go free-to-air (FTA), which will be in the public interest.”
This is what a government source was quoted as having said in a media report on the government’s intention to issue an Ordinance to regulate broadcasters, thus closing a window that had been left open in the Cable Television Networks Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2002.
The CAS legislation has cable ops in its purview but not the broadcasters and it is has been a longstanding demand of the cable fraternity that they also need to be regulated.
The Ordinance reportedly empowers the government to fix the price of individual pay channels, either curb or ban advertisements on pay channels and disallow bundling of weak and strong channels offered as bouquets by broadcasters.
The information and broadcasting ministry has already drafted the Ordinance and got law and justice ministry clearance. It is to go before the Union cabinet today for approval.
What seems to have spurred the government into action is what it sees as “backtracking” by the broadcasters on the “honeymoon period” in the zone-wise rollout plan when all the pay channels are supposed to be offered in the Rs 72-plus-taxes FTA price. The government contends that the plan had got broadcaster approval during the earlier meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, but after that the broadcaster’s did a flip-flop on the issue.
At the meeting yesterday with top I&B ministry officials, broadcasters had a top heavy turnout with the likes of Zee’s Subhash Chandra, Star’s Peter Mukherjea, ESPN’s Manu Sawhney, Turner India’s Anshuman Misra, Sony’s Kunal Dasgupta and Discovery’s Deepak Shourie present. PMO aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who has been functioning as the prime minister’s point man, was also present.
The Times of India reported that Chandra has floated a new zone-wise rollout formula wherein Zone A would have set-top boxes (STBs) for pay channels from 1 September, with 1-31 August as a “preview” period, when a viewer can watch pay channels also for the Rs 72-plus-taxes price.
Zone B’s preview period would be 1-31 September. Zone C would get free preview for two months, September and October, before before becoming CAS illuminated from 1 November. Zone D would have a three-month free period, September through to November, before becoming CAS driven from 1 December.
Chandra has kept the election period in mind with this formula. Zone C and D, which will have two and three month free periods respectively in the plan, will be paying FTA rates when the polls are on.
It was not just the pay broadcasters that I&B ministry officials met yesterday, there were representations made by cable operators, MSOs and the “desi” FTA broadcasters.
FTA channel representatives including Aaj Tak’s G Krishnan, Sab TV’s Markand Adhikari and Eenadu’s I Venkat met I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and reiterated their earlier demand (made when the zone-wise rollout plan was announced last Friday) that CAS should be introduced all at once from 1 September.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
