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
India tightens anti-piracy law, blocks sites and Telegram channels
New rules bring jail terms, fines and faster takedowns of illegal content
NEW DELHI: The Government of India has stepped up its fight against film piracy, invoking stricter provisions under the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 to crack down on unauthorised recording and distribution.
The law now imposes tougher penalties, including jail terms ranging from three months to three years and fines starting at Rs. 3 lakh, which can go up to 5 per cent of a film’s production cost. The provisions target both illegal recording in cinemas and unauthorised online transmission.
In a fresh enforcement push, authorities have notified the Telegram platform to act against piracy, leading to the identification of 3,142 channels allegedly distributing copyrighted content without permission. In parallel, access to around 800 piracy websites has been blocked through internet service providers.
The action has been taken under the Information Technology Act 2000, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove unlawful content. The framework is further reinforced by the Information Technology Rules 2021, requiring platforms to act swiftly when notified of violations.
An institutional mechanism is also in place, allowing copyright holders and authorised representatives to file complaints through designated nodal officers. Once verified, these complaints trigger takedown notices to intermediaries for disabling access to infringing content.
The update was shared in Parliament by Government of India minister of state information and broadcasting l murugan in response to a query from Parimal Nathwani.
The government’s latest move signals a sharper, more coordinated approach to tackling piracy across both physical and digital channels. For the film industry, it is a step towards protecting revenues, while for viewers, it reinforces the shift towards legitimate content consumption.
