I&B Ministry
Giving information effectively a major challenge: Naidu
NEW DELHI: Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has said information is “ammunition to fight social evils such as corruption, poverty, illiteracy and terrorism”.
To ensure last mile reach and keep pace with the changing communication paradigm, the government communication needs to incorporate innovative and out of the box ideas. Innovative ideas such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat and the MoU signed with Amar Chitra Katha for comic books on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan influenced the masses at large.
Naidu was addressing the Indian Information Service Officer Trainees of 2015 batch currently undergoing at training at Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC) here, who had called on President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday. Minister of State for I and B Rajyavardhan Rathore and senior officers of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.
Naidu said to effectively design communication strategy for various government programmes and flagship schemes was a major challenge for government communication managers. He added that communicating success stories about developmental programs like Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (Clean India campaign) would inspire and motivate citizens and would engage them as stakeholders in the governance process.
The Minister emphasized on the need for India Information Service (IIS) officers to learn and adapt to the new technologies, tools and techniques to enhance reach of the government; especially in the age of social media.
“The social media perspective has changed the way we communicate and govern today, which provided challenges and opportunities for the officers to enhance government outreach,” Naidu said.
In his interaction, the Minister emphasized on the need to be progressive in thought and take pride in the role and responsibility assigned to each officer. He specifically mentioned the initiative taken by the Ministry to institutionalize capacity building through appropriate training programs at different career levels. Naidu also assured the officer-trainees that the quality aspect associated with capacity building issues in the training programs would be improved to meet the communication challenges.
Rathore advised the officer trainees that there was a need to continuously learn and add value to their skills as well as the organization where they would be working.
IIS Officer Trainees also shared their experiences of the past nine months of training with the two Ministers.
I&B Ministry
MIB blocks MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro and three other OTT platforms over obscene, sexually explicit content
Platforms streamed material violating IT Act provisions
NATIONAL: India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry blocked five over-the-top streaming platforms for allegedly hosting obscene and sexually explicit content, marking a fresh escalation in regulatory action against digital services operating outside the country’s content rules, as per media reports.
The platforms, MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel and Jugnu, were found to be streaming material that prima facie violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and rules governing online publishers.
Blocking orders were issued under statutory powers that allow the government to restrict access to online content in the interest of public order and decency. Internet service providers have been directed to disable access to the websites and mobile applications linked to the platforms.
The move forms part of a wider surveillance drive by the ministry targeting lesser-known and unregulated streaming services that allegedly evade self-regulatory obligations applicable to OTT platforms. Officials said the action followed repeated advisories urging compliance with Indian laws, including age-based classification, grievance redressal mechanisms and restrictions on explicit material.
Government sources described the content hosted by the blocked platforms as “highly explicit”, adding that it crossed legal thresholds permitted under Indian law. While large OTT players operate within a three-tier grievance redressal framework introduced in 2021, smaller apps have increasingly drawn scrutiny for distributing adult content without oversight.
The latest action also reflects heightened enforcement against platforms operating through mirror websites, offshore hosting arrangements or opaque ownership structures. Authorities have in recent years stepped up monitoring of online curated content amid concerns around obscenity, misleading promotions and unlawful distribution.
Officials declined to say whether further steps, including probes into operators, payment gateways or production entities, were being considered. However, sources indicated that additional platforms could face similar action if found in breach of the law.
