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
India tightens anti-piracy law, blocks sites and Telegram channels
New rules bring jail terms, fines and faster takedowns of illegal content
NEW DELHI: The Government of India has stepped up its fight against film piracy, invoking stricter provisions under the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 to crack down on unauthorised recording and distribution.
The law now imposes tougher penalties, including jail terms ranging from three months to three years and fines starting at Rs. 3 lakh, which can go up to 5 per cent of a film’s production cost. The provisions target both illegal recording in cinemas and unauthorised online transmission.
In a fresh enforcement push, authorities have notified the Telegram platform to act against piracy, leading to the identification of 3,142 channels allegedly distributing copyrighted content without permission. In parallel, access to around 800 piracy websites has been blocked through internet service providers.
The action has been taken under the Information Technology Act 2000, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove unlawful content. The framework is further reinforced by the Information Technology Rules 2021, requiring platforms to act swiftly when notified of violations.
An institutional mechanism is also in place, allowing copyright holders and authorised representatives to file complaints through designated nodal officers. Once verified, these complaints trigger takedown notices to intermediaries for disabling access to infringing content.
The update was shared in Parliament by Government of India minister of state information and broadcasting l murugan in response to a query from Parimal Nathwani.
The government’s latest move signals a sharper, more coordinated approach to tackling piracy across both physical and digital channels. For the film industry, it is a step towards protecting revenues, while for viewers, it reinforces the shift towards legitimate content consumption.
