I&B Ministry
Government not opposed to FDI in media: Reddy
NEW DELHI: The government today said that it was not opposed to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the media, including print and electronic.
Speaking at a special session on ‘The Future of Newspapers in the World’, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here today, minister for information and broadcasting Jaipal Reddy said, “The recent Union Budget has lowered customs duties on printing equipment. There is no restriction on accessing technology, and we also welcome FDI in the media -print and electronic.”
Giving another positive indication,the minister, answering a query, said that the government was “taking a close look” at allowing facsimile edition of newspapers in India. According to him, “Our mind is not closed as it was earlier.”
The minister, however, cautioned that laws in India have not kept pace with the technological changes that the sector was going through. He said, “I am not advocating amendment of laws. As a staunch liberal, I will not propose stringent laws. Rather, I would like to see the industry self regulating itself.”
This, according to Reddy, was important as no law could keep pace with changing technologies. “I am sure that the print and electronic media will take upon themselves to exercise this discipline,” he added.
He assured that government would be happy to be engaged in regular dialogue with the print and electronic media on industry concerns, difficulties and issues.
Dwelling on the much talked about TV `sting’ operations, Reddy maintained that he was not opposed to investigative journalism- sting or otherwise.
Still, he said, ‘sting’ operations were acceptable as long as they maintained decency and did not venture into ‘porno journalism.’
On the never ending debate on the future of newspapers at the back of technological advancements, the minister said that he was optimistic about the future of newspapers across the world.
“I am an unabashed partisan of newspapers,” he said and, on a lighter note, commented his loyalty lay with newspapers, while “I owe my debt to television.”
Expressing hope, Reddy remarked that there was no reason why there could not be growth and expansion of existing newspapers in India, as also of new entrants.
“I say this because technology of news gathering and production is offering innovation to the newspaper industry and to the readers,” he reasoned.
Speaking on the occasion, the visiting CEO of the Financial Times Group, Olivier Fleurot, observed that there was future for newspapers even at the back of fast technological developments, provided the print medium showed some flexibility and enriched its content.
He said that since there were more options available with the readers, they have become demanding, which is why it would be “important to innovate” to survive the competition from electronic media and the Internet.
In his remarks, CII president Sunil Kant Munjal said that newspapers had the ability to carry the message in more detail, thus being very helpful to companies and their business.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
