I&B Ministry
Gujarat blacks out PTV
For two months, the Indian government has dithered on the issue of a ban on the state-backed PTV. Within two days of the Gujarat riots, however, the state government has clamped down on the telecast of Pakistan TV, to prevent the spread of “misinformation”.
Officials have been quoted as saying: “PTV is indulging in a gross disinformation campaign. Allowing the beaming of such programmes would be detrimental to the efforts to restore communal harmony.” The channel has consequently been blacked out since Sunday to prevent any further biased news spreading in the strife-torn state.
The state government however has also not taken kindly to the Prannoy Roy-promoted NDTV’s coverage of the situation and has responded with an arbitrary ban order on Star News from 2 March, using the state government’s discretionary powers. The channel has been beaming images of violence on the streets of Gujarat, and commenting on the absence of police personnel in the most-affected areas. Terming it as “instigative” journalism, a piqued chief minister Narendra Modi reportedly told media, “A television channel has been showing inflammatory visuals and reporting inaccurately. According to a rule, no community should be named. One channel has been blatantly naming communities.”
Roy has responded to the charges by saying: “As far as I know, all news channels and not just NDTV were asked to stop telecast on riots from Gujarat. However, that decision was never implemented and the telecast from there has been restored.”
The chief minister has stuck to his guns maintaining that Star News has been showing provocative visuals and instigating people with reports of scant police presence on the streets of several cities in Gujarat.
It is still not clear though whether Modi’s orders to ban Star News have been carried through.
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.
