I&B Ministry
Citizens’ Charter of MIB makes commitments for ensuring certain services
NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry today undertook to facilitate sustained annual growth rate of 13 percent for the media and entertainment sector and ensure free flow of information to the public and safeguard freedom of press and media.
In a Citizen’s Charter released by it, the Ministry also said the aim was to effectively disseminate information on the policies, programmes and achievements of government using emerging technologies, promote development of broadcasting industry in India; strengthen the public service broadcaster and work towards universal digitisation of broadcasting by 2017.
The aim was also to expand FM radio network to all cities of 100,000 and above by 2014-15 and community radio service for empowering local communities.
The Ministry undertook to create a policy framework for the development of value based content for healthy entertainment of people of all ages; and restore, digitalise, preserve and enhance public access to the archival wealth of films, video and audio resources.
It would support digital conversion of Indian films by 2016-17 and upscale human resources development and set up centers of excellence for the media and entertainment sector.
The Charter not only contains the names and contact details of officers concerned but also the maximum time limit for various activities being handled by it, documents required and the entry fee. It also includes details of service standards, number of months to be taken for various activities, and the addresses of media units.
The Ministry said the aim was to create an enabling environment for sustained growth of media and entertainment sector, facilitate value based wholesome entertainment and effectively disseminate information on government policies, programmes and achievements.
The services mentioned in it include issue of Issue of license for providing DTH services to prospective licensee, Issue of License to Multi System Operators, Issue of license for providing HITS services to prospective licensee, Registration of Television Rating Points (TRP) Agencies to operate in India, Setting up teleports by TV Channels for up linking/ down linking, Issue of permission for Up linking/ Down linking of TV Channels uplinked from India, Issue of Permission for Down linking of TV Channels uplinked from Abroad.
The details have been placed on the website of the Ministry mib.nic.in.
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.
