News Headline
Government takes a shot at regulation
With the information and broadcasting ministry seeing two ministers, two secretaries — not to talk about other officials being reshuffled —- and a string of litigations relating to media guidelines within a span of 365 days, it couldn’t have been more eventful for the government. A senior ministry official aptly said, “The amount of research work concerning various policy issues and court cases that we had to do in 2005 is quite amazing. The changes at the top added to new pressures.”
 |
| All policy decisions in 2005 were taken when Jaipal Reddy (left) was the former I & B ministry. His successor Priyaranjan Das Munshi has a tough act to follow. |
From that apt summation arise numerous stories and angles that kept the government busy with loads of paper work and running around where the underlying message was: revisit existing media policies and structure new ones. The rationale being that the government needed to protect its turf (read, control) even at the cost of looking interventionist.
If the cricket rights-related court cases inadvertently brought the government within their radar screens — that gave some sleepless nights to the law ministry — an average Indian’s quest to seek legal redressal on any media issue definitely made the policy-makers give another hard look at policies and raise the question whether additional regulation was needed or not. In most cases, the answer came out as `yes.’
Take, for example, the media policies that were re-visited during 2005.
First there was CAS, which fortunately did not give major heartburns to the government this year as the issue was soft-pedaled, followed by the FM radio broadcasting guidelines (finally implemented in a new avatar), the syndication and foreign investment rules for the print media, the censorship laws for films and music videos and the DTH guidelines.
And, mind it, in most of the aforementioned cases hectic lobbying was taking place for and against various rules, not to mention the penchant for filing cases. In some cases, the government lost face too, prompting it to retaliate later with stringent amendments to existing regulations.
If the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of petitioners, high profile newspaper editor MJ Akbar and associates, in a case relating to re-printing and publishing content from The International Herald Tribune in India under the syndication rules, the I&B ministry after some months unveiled new syndication and other guidelines for the print media vis-?-vis foreign publication that seemed liberal, but was restrictive when the fine prints were read.
In a way, various court cases — especially those related to cricket telecast rights involving pubcaster Doordarshan — also acted as a catalyst in firming up government’s plans to bring about regulation giving itself discretionary powers and control. The revised uplink policy and the first ever downlink guidelines, which have been put in place upsetting many in the industry, can be cited as examples.
That the government was mulling amending the two guidelines cannot be disputed. But certain clauses, like the one relating to sharing of sports content with Prasar Bharati on a mandatory basis (that has raised the heckles of private sports broadcasters with Ten Sports and ESPN Star Sports again moving the court contesting such a diktat in November-December), were inserted forcefully and goes to show that the policymakers wanted to tighten the screws on private broadcasters.
 |
| I&B ministry secretary SK Arora: he will have a vital role to play in 2006 |
Bringing in various industry bodies in the act of lobbying against such legislation at a time when similar examples prevail elsewhere in the world in some form or other didn’t help matters.
As a senior I&B ministry official pointed out, “If the same broadcasters could follow rules and regulations, stringent or otherwise, in other countries like China, Singapore, Australia and the US, why are they so upset about them in India? Do they want to have a free run in a country and still not pay back the market that’s the largest for them in Asia?”
Certain riders in the downlink guidelines — a historic move from the government’s point of view — could be debated as stringent, but what cannot possibly be disputed is the government’s intention to bring about a regulatory framework in the broadcast and entertainment industry with technology breaking down access barriers and hundreds of TV channels and content delivery platforms emerging for Indians.
The government did touch on most media-related issues in 2005. But what should be done in 2006 is to try having a more consensual approach instead of a confrontationist-cum-interventionist one as an all-round bonhomie does make for a good business environment, which, ideally, is the government’s aim as that is likely to have many beneficial offshoots for the country in general.
How the government handles the content regulation issue — primarily whether Indians are mature enough for adult fare and movies on TV — being debated at the moment, will be an indicator of things to come.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
