I&B Ministry
DD to set up four new channels in the north eastern part of India
NEW DELHI: Pubcaster Doordarshan is working towards launching four channels in the north east in the near future.
Three of these channels will be in Guwahati, Imphal, Arun Prabha (Itanagar), and “Ma-Mi-Na” (Aizawl).
While presenting his budget in February, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley who also holds the Finance Portfolio had said Prasar Bharati was actively working on a 24×7 television channel for the north-east, for which the clearance of the Standing Finance Committee headed by the I&B secretary had been forwarded to the pubcaster on 24 September.
The channel was expected to provide a strong platform to rich cultural and linguistic identity of the region.
However, Prasar Bharati has proposed that the existing north east channel be trifurcated by launching two additional 24X7 satellite channels for north eastern region designated as Arun Prabha Itanagar and “Ma-Mi-Na” Aizawl.
The proposal is under finalization for circulation to appraisal agencies.
The proposed Arun Prabha channel will cater to the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and the second channel will cater to the states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur and the third to Assam and Meghalaya.
While applauding this move, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology which also examines I&B said recently that these projects are needed to be implemented on a priority basis and specific time-frames be prescribed within which the channels would be operationalised. The Committee wanted to be apprised of the progress.
It can be noted that at present there is a single 24X7 north east channel which is inadequate to meet the aspirations and needs of the vast north eastern region of the country, comprising eight states where multiple languages and dialects are followed.
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.
