I&B Ministry
FM Phase III auction postponed
NEW DELHI: The e-auctions in the second batch of FM Phase III, which completed its 24th day yesterday, will now resume on 9 December 2016.
The auction was not held on Tuesday, owing to the demise of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha as some bidders rushed back to Tamil Nadu.
The bidding has so far been somewhat slow, but Muzaffarpur has been the sole silver lining over the past week rising to more than Rs 33.7 million and thus also overtaking Mysuru which is still at Rs 32.1 million.
Hyderabad and Dehradun are still at top with Rs 23,43,48,266 and Rs 15,61,00,590 respectively, and there are still no bids for 44 cities and movement of just one or two cities in the bottom rung.
M/s South Asia FM Ltd has been declared as the winning bidder for five Radio FM channels, just a day after the commencement of the auction for the second batch of Phase III. The company will be allotted FM Channels in Surat, Amritsar, Patna, Chandigarh and Jammu.
The first day of auction on 26 October saw a winning price of Rs 1820 milion against the aggregate price of Rs 1792 million, while the second day onwards the bidding has been low.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com’s sister concern radioandmusic.com that the aim was to continue till all the channels slated in the second batch were auctioned, but breaks will have to be taken for weekends and national holidays.
This data has been compiled on the basis of system generated “Final Round Result Report” and “Frequency Identification Report” accessible through auction administrator role.
Also Read
South Asia FM bags five channels in first round of the second batch of FM Batch III
FM Phase III: Slump in auction, with sole exception of Muzaffarpur leaping to over Rs 33 million
I&B Ministry
MeitY proposes tighter rules for digital platforms and intermediaries
Fresh amendments aim to formalise government directions and expand content oversight.
MUMBAI: When the rulebook gets an upgrade, even the internet might need to sit up and pay attention because India’s digital regulators are clearly not scrolling idly. India’s technology regulators have proposed a fresh set of amendments to the country’s digital media and intermediary liability framework, seeking to expand oversight of online content and formalise the government’s authority to issue binding directions to platforms.
In a notice issued on 30 March, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) invited public comments on changes to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The revisions are described as “clarificatory and procedural” but are clearly aimed at strengthening compliance and enforcement.
At the heart of the proposal is a significant shift in how intermediaries, including social media platforms, respond to government advisories. A newly inserted provision would make compliance with official “clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines” a formal part of the due diligence obligations required for platforms to retain legal immunity under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This change effectively elevates government communications from guidance to enforceable obligations, tightening the regulatory loop between the state and digital platforms.
The amendments also expand the scope of content oversight under Part III of the rules, which governs digital media ethics. The proposed revisions clarify that the code will apply not only to publishers but also to intermediaries hosting news and current affairs content uploaded by users. This could bring user-generated news content more directly within the ambit of regulatory scrutiny, a move likely to raise questions about platform liability and editorial responsibility.
Further, the government has proposed broadening the mandate of the Inter-Departmental Committee, a key oversight body. The committee would no longer be limited to adjudicating complaints but could also take up matters referred directly by the ministry. This shift signals a more proactive regulatory posture, allowing authorities to initiate reviews without waiting for formal grievances.
The draft builds on an already expansive framework. The existing IT Rules impose detailed due diligence requirements on intermediaries, including obligations to remove unlawful content within tight timelines, maintain grievance redressal systems, and ensure traceability in certain cases. Recent amendments have also introduced provisions addressing synthetically generated content, requiring platforms to label such material and deploy technical measures to prevent misuse.
Officials framed the latest proposals as necessary to ensure an “Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet,” while improving “legal certainty” and the enforceability of regulatory directions.
Stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback by 14 April, setting the stage for what could become another consequential evolution in India’s digital governance regime.
In the fast-moving world of online content, these tweaks suggest the government is keen to keep the guardrails firmly in place – because when the internet grows wilder, even regulators feel the need to hit refresh on the rulebook.
