I&B Ministry
I&B ministry discusses DTH set top specifications
NEW DELHI: Action seems to be happening slowly on the DTH front. Now, the information and broadcasting ministry will prepare a note on set-top boxes for KU-band DTH television services in the country after the merits and demerits of proprietary technology and open architecture were discussed today in a meeting of officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards and the ministry.
According to government sources, today’s meeting was a “preliminary one” where additional secretary (broadcasting) of the I&B ministry, Anil Baijal, was the senior most official. The matter is also likely to be discussed with I&B minister Sushma Swaraj before a note is prepared.
After the BIS receives the note from the I&B ministry, which will also keep the existing guidelines on DTH in mind, the matter of open architecture vs proprietary technology will be referred to a BIS committee on radio communication for the viewpoint of BIS.
The BIS committee on radio communication, which will debate and formulate the official BIS response on set-top boxes for DTH issue, comprises representatives from media companies like Star, cable operators and is headed by the chief engineer of All India Radio.
Though the existing DTH guidelines, announced late 2000, mandates that any DTH service provider must go in for open architecture, the broadcasting lobby has been insisting on the fact that there is no such thing called open architecture and any DTH service draws subscribers for showing premium products for which common encryption is not possible.
Even after over 18 months since the time the government announced the guidelines on DTH in India, only two companies have filed for licence with the I&B ministry. The companies are Space TV (a Star affiliate) and Agrani, a satellite company promoted by the chairman of Zee Telefilms, Subhash Chandra.
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.
