I&B Ministry
Govt. rejects TRAI proposal for lower reserve fee for FM phase III auctions
NEW DELHI: The recommendations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to review the reserve price for FM phase III auctions have not found favour with the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry.
TRAI had recommended a change, after going through the views expressed by radio channel operators and new stakeholders that the price was too high.
However, the Ministry has pointed out to TRAI that the reserve price was fixed by a Group of Ministers and later approved by the Union Cabinet.
TRAI had expressed apprehensions that the auctions could be jeopardized since many operators felt the price was too prohibitive. The phase III reserve fee formula (highest bid of phase II), has already led to a lot of opposition from broadcasters.
When asked if this would lead to lesser number of bidders for phase III, I&B secretary Bimal Julka told indiantelevision.com, “We will cross the bridge when we come to it. At this moment, I can only say that we have accepted the TRAI recommendations with some exceptions.”
When the process begins – hopefully expected to start by October as indicated by Ministry sources – phase III is set for auction of 839 FM channels across 294 cities. These sources did not feel the reserve price was a major issue as the players likely to bid for the channel are large parties.
However, the Ministry sees nothing wrong with the TRAI recommendation of allowing 15-year licence period for operators migrating from phase II to phase III as phase II had provided for 10 years of licence.
TRAI had also recommended a lower minimum channel spacing of 400KHz for FM radio broadcast, as against 800KHz now, to allow more radio stations which has not been accepted by the Ministry.
The recent 2G auctions which came as a result of an order of the Apex Court had justified the need for a low reserve fees.
I&B Ministry
MeitY & Reliance Foundation launch e-SafeHER cyber training for Women
Programme aims to train one million rural women in cyber safety over three years
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with Reliance Foundation and C-DAC Hyderabad to launch ‘e-SafeHER’, a nationwide cyber security awareness programme aimed at empowering one million women across rural India.
Anchored under the Information Security Education and Awareness Programme, the initiative will focus on building digital confidence and safe online practices among women who are increasingly using digital platforms for financial transactions, livelihoods and essential services.
The programme will be rolled out through a community-led model, with training delivered via women’s self-help groups and grassroots networks. C-DAC Hyderabad will develop and localise training content, while Reliance Foundation will drive on-ground implementation using its rural outreach platforms.
Speaking on the launch, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan said, “e-SafeHER is an exciting opportunity to bring together knowledge and collaboration to build a cyber secure Bharat. Through this initiative, women from even the remotest regions will be empowered to participate safely in the digital ecosystem.”
Echoing this, Reliance Foundation director Isha Ambani said the initiative aims to equip women with the skills needed to navigate the online world safely. She added that the goal is to enable one million “Cyber Sakhis” who can confidently adopt digital tools to improve their lives and livelihoods.
The programme will begin with pilot training in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, before scaling nationwide through a phased approach. It will use multilingual content, audio-visual modules and blended learning formats to ensure accessibility and engagement.
Designed for long-term impact, e-SafeHER will be integrated into existing digital literacy and women’s empowerment programmes, avoiding the need for parallel infrastructure. The initiative also aims to drive measurable behavioural change, from improved awareness of cyber risks to safer digital transactions.
By combining policy, technology and grassroots reach, the programme looks to bridge not just the digital divide, but the digital safety gap, ensuring that inclusion goes hand in hand with security.
