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Delhi HC directs govt to respond to PIL
NEW DELHI: While the government and the industry keep grappling with the issue of CAS, a vacation bench of the Delhi High Court has asked the government to file its response by 26 December on a petition filed by consumer activist groups seeking a stay on the rollout of conditional access.
The court took up the petition filed by Consumer Co-ordination Council (CCC) and the Consumer Online Foundation today and directed that the central government, through the information and broadcasting ministry, file a response stating as to why the rollout of CAS in its present form should not be stayed.
When contacted, a ministry official told indiantelevision.com that the government would study the situation and file a response as directed by the court. The petitioners had stated that CAS in its present form is anti-consumer in Delhi and various doubtful issues persist to haunt it.
In the light of this, the rollout being implemented by the cable industry in South Delhi should be stopped.
The petitioners had also said that such a technology should be rolled out when there is a regulatory body to hear complaints from consumers as well.
The vacation bench comprised Justices V Jain and Pradeep Nandrajog. Petitioners’ counsel Rajiv Bansal argued that there was no sync between the amended and unamended provisions of the Cable TV (Network) Regulation Act, which facilitates implementation of CAS. He also contended that the portion concerned in the Act is violative of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed to citizens of India under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Referring to the Communication Convergence Bill introduced in the Parliament, Bansal said that once it becomes a reality and a law, the CATV Act would be subsumed in it and hence, it is almost obsolete.
The petitioners, apart from other things, had alleged that the government notification on CAS was more “coercive implementation” of set-top boxes than about consumer interest.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
