I&B Ministry
Expert group set up by Home Ministry to check cyber crimes
NEW DELHI: Following a sharp increase in cyber crimes, an expert group consisting of academicians and professionals of repute to prepare a roadmap for effectively tackling the cyber crimes in the country and give suitable recommendations on all facets of cyber crime.
Various issues relating to Cyber Crimes have been flagged at various forums including Parliament, as the country with a fast growing economy is susceptible to international and domestic cyber attacks. There has been almost 40 per cent annual increase in cyber crimes registered in the country during the past two to three years.
The five-member expert study group comprises of Pune-based CDAC director general Dr. Rajat Moona, professor Krishnan of the Indian Institute of science in Bengaluru, Dr. Gulshan Rai who is director general of Cert-In, Dr. Manindra Aggarwal who is professor Computer Science in Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and Dr D. Dass, professor IIIT, Bengaluru. Home Minister joint secretary (Centre State) Kumar Alok will be the Convenor.
The Terms of Reference of the expert group are:
1. To prepare a roadmap for effectively tackling the cyber crime in the country and give suitable recommendations on all its facets.
2. Recommend possible partnerships with public and private sector, NGOs, international bodies and international NGOs.
3. Any other special measures/ steps the expert group may like to recommend with regard to tackling cyber crimes.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
