I&B Ministry
Films Division shorts in cinema halls: Centre mulling revival
NEW DELHI: All cinema halls may soon have to screen the news features produced by the Films Division, sources in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said.
As a first step, the Government had earlier this year waived the 1% rental charged by Films Division in lieu of supplying public services awareness films including news features to facilitate exhibition of such films in the cinema halls of the country.
These sources told indiantelevision.com that provisions have been kept in the proposed amendments to the Cinematograph Act 1952 to empower the Central Government to issue directions so that such films may get adequate opportunity of being exhibited.
Meanwhile, Films Division sources told indiantelevision.com that a beginning had already been made and almost all the PVR theatres were showing shorts that went on for just around three to four minutes. However, the aim to revive the practice prevalent around two decades earlier was to show a news feature by the Division before the main feature film commences.
At one stage, some private filmmakers had gone to court saying that there was no reason for only Films Division films being shown. As a result, cinema halls had stopped screening of the Division films. However, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled over a decade earlier that theatres should show films of relevance to society irrespective of who has made it. But, cinema halls have been reluctant to show these films.
As a result, the Films Division appealed to the ministry to take decisive steps to ensure that the films – like those on the Swachhta Campaign or other ongoing programmes of the government should be shown. It is learnt that cinema owners have said that they will generally not accept films that are more than three minutes long, and therefore the Centre may step in to make this mandatory.
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
