I&B Ministry
Govt. accepts Jawhar Sircar’s request for early retirement
NEW DELHI: A media-savvy chief executive of Prasar Bharati Jawhar Sircar used the social media to announce yesterday that the Indian government has accepted his resignation from the pubcaster and acceded to his request for an early retirement.
Sircar was originally to complete his term as the Indian pubcaster’s chief executive and attain superannuation first quarter of 2017.
On a quiet Sunday, when most Indians were getting ready for a new season of Big Boss later in the evening having watched Indian cricket team romp home to victory over Black Caps in a 50-over game in Dharamshala, Sircar used Facebook to announce that the government had formally cleared the way for his early ride into the sunset.
“Time to quit, after eventful 41.5 years in IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and beyond. Central Govt (government) has accepted my resignation. Done enough: no more govt or private jobs. Free man, finally. Only books !” Sircar posted on his FB page Sunday evening in his usual flamboyant style.
Interestingly, it was another September weekend — Saturday to be specific — when Sircar had used FB to state and clarify he wanted to quit Prasar Bharati before his tenure ended officially and alluded to a time-frame too. “Since news is out today…I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV(ember),” he had then said on social media.
Sircar, who took office mid-February 2012 has been at odds, at times, with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), including Ministers, and even the Prasar Bharati Board. Still, he had told indiantelevision.com in September when contacted that MIB and Prasar Bharati Board were “in sync and supportive.”
Sircar, who took early retirement as Secretary, Ministry of Culture, to take up the challenging job of chief executive of Prasar Bharati, which manages All India Radio and Doordarshan, is an expert in art and culture and has lectured on the issues in India and abroad.
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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.
