I&B Ministry
I&B Ministry gives clearance to five new channels; private TV channels increase to 826
NEW DELHI: The number of permitted satellite television channels has gone up marginally to 826 with five new channels getting cleared during December 2014.
The number of channels in November-end was 821 as compared to 798 in July following streamlining of clearance procedures by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The cleared channels include one news channel taking the total to 405 news and current affairs channels and four non-news channels taking the total to 421 general entertainment channels.
The statistics show that 697 channels (including 382 news channels) are permitted to uplink and downlink from within the country, and 36 (including seven news channels) are uplinked from India for beaming overseas and not in the country. There is no change in channels uplinked from overseas and downlinked into India with the number remaining static at 93 (including 16 news channels).
The new entrants were: R-Vision (a non-news channel in all Indian languages) and Krishna Showbiz Services’ three channels – Dilagiri, Tak Dhina Din and Maula Masth (Hindi non-news channels for uplinking and downlinking). The Arabia news channel in Malayalam is the sole channel for uplinking only.
The largest gainer is Krishna Showbiz Services Pvt Ltd, which gets three Hindi GEC channels. The year 2014 has thus seen the clearance to more than 30 channels.
To expedite the process, which had remained stagnant after March-end, the Ministry now holds the Open House meetings with stakeholders two time every month instead of once.
I&B Ministry
MeitY proposes continuous labelling for AI-generated content
Draft IT Rules amendments mandate visible labels, feedback open till May 7, 2026
MUMBAI: If AI is blurring the line between real and rendered, the government wants the label to do the talking non-stop. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed tighter disclosure norms for AI-generated content, signalling a sharper regulatory push on transparency across digital platforms.
Under draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the Ministry has moved to strengthen how such content is identified. The key shift lies in Rule 3, sub-rule (3), clause (a), sub-clause (ii), where the earlier requirement of “prominent visibility” is being replaced with a stricter mandate labels must now remain “continuous and clearly visible” for the entire duration of the content.
In simple terms, no more blink-and-miss disclaimers. If content is AI-generated, the label must stay on screen, start to finish.
The Ministry has also extended the deadline for stakeholder feedback on the proposed changes to May 7, 2026, widening the consultation window as it seeks industry and public input. The move follows earlier consultation papers released on March 30 and April 10, which addressed intermediary compliance and digital media oversight in light of existing advisories and directions.
Alongside the amendments, the government has released multiple documents, including draft rules covering intermediary obligations, artificially generated information and digital media governance, as well as a consolidated version of the IT Rules incorporating the proposed revisions.
The direction of travel is clear. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated and more difficult to distinguish from reality, the regulatory response is shifting from guidance to enforceable visibility.
For platforms and creators alike, the message is straightforward: if it’s generated, it must be declared and not just once, but all the way through.
