I&B Ministry
Court directs ministry to investigate Baba’s shows for ‘spreading superstition’
MUMBAI: The Allahabad High Court has directed the information and broadcasting ministry to probe allegations that the television shows of godman Nirmal Baba were spreading superstition.
A bench of Justice Sanjai Harkauli and Justice AP Sahi passed the fiat on a public interest litigation (PIL) moved in 2012 by K.Saran, a Lucknow-based lawyer, PTI reported.
If the allegations against Nirmal Baba’s show were found to be true, the high court directive stated, the ministry must take action.
The petitioner had sought action against the television channels broadcasting the programmes of Nirmal Baba under the Rule 6 of the Cable Television Network Rules 1994. The petitioner had alleged that the baba’s shows were encouraging blind faith and superstition.
The petitioner had pleaded that the provisions of relevant law and Rules 1994 specifically provide that if such channels do not stop showing contents with superstition and blind faith, the government could revoke the permission granted for running the channel.
In a separate case earlier, an FIR was registered against the chief managing director (CMD) and editor-in-chief of Sudarshan news channel for allegedly instigating enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion. Sudarshan TV is among the list of channels which has applied to the ministry of information and broadcasting for approval of two more channels.
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I&B Ministry
MeitY & Reliance Foundation launch e-SafeHER cyber training for Women
Programme aims to train one million rural women in cyber safety over three years
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with Reliance Foundation and C-DAC Hyderabad to launch ‘e-SafeHER’, a nationwide cyber security awareness programme aimed at empowering one million women across rural India.
Anchored under the Information Security Education and Awareness Programme, the initiative will focus on building digital confidence and safe online practices among women who are increasingly using digital platforms for financial transactions, livelihoods and essential services.
The programme will be rolled out through a community-led model, with training delivered via women’s self-help groups and grassroots networks. C-DAC Hyderabad will develop and localise training content, while Reliance Foundation will drive on-ground implementation using its rural outreach platforms.
Speaking on the launch, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan said, “e-SafeHER is an exciting opportunity to bring together knowledge and collaboration to build a cyber secure Bharat. Through this initiative, women from even the remotest regions will be empowered to participate safely in the digital ecosystem.”
Echoing this, Reliance Foundation director Isha Ambani said the initiative aims to equip women with the skills needed to navigate the online world safely. She added that the goal is to enable one million “Cyber Sakhis” who can confidently adopt digital tools to improve their lives and livelihoods.
The programme will begin with pilot training in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, before scaling nationwide through a phased approach. It will use multilingual content, audio-visual modules and blended learning formats to ensure accessibility and engagement.
Designed for long-term impact, e-SafeHER will be integrated into existing digital literacy and women’s empowerment programmes, avoiding the need for parallel infrastructure. The initiative also aims to drive measurable behavioural change, from improved awareness of cyber risks to safer digital transactions.
By combining policy, technology and grassroots reach, the programme looks to bridge not just the digital divide, but the digital safety gap, ensuring that inclusion goes hand in hand with security.
