I&B Ministry
I&B Ministry to reduce Trai jurisdiction over b’cast & cable sector
NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting ministry is now firmly of the view that regulation of content should be separate from carriage and is working on a legislation that would significantly reduce Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s jurisdiction over the broadcast and cable sector.
According to government officials, the I&B ministry has held initial discussions with the telecom ministry on the issue, trying to impress that content and carriage regulation should be separate, as opposed to the Convergence Communication Bill that envisaged a super-regulator for the IT, broadcasting and telecom sectors. Though officials indicated that no time frame has been set for such a piece of legislation, which would form part of the broadcast bill being tweaked by the I&B ministry at present, but talks are being held with the telecom ministry to facilitate this.
The Convergence Bill, which despite being a comprehensive piece of background work couldn’t see the light of the day because of political opposition to the creation of an over-arching and powerful regulator, falls under the purview of the telecom ministry and unless it agrees to the separation of carriage regulation from content, I&B ministry would find it difficult to have its say.
With regards to content regulation, the I&B ministry has also called for a meeting of industry stakeholders and women’s organisations and some non-governmental organisations early February to thrash out ” regular and frequent complaints” on images transmitted over television, especially those relating to violence and sex.
Meanwhile, the government has recently given clearance to three other organisations for starting community radio service, which has proved to be of some help in the aftermath of Tsunami disaster management.
The organisations that have got the final green signal from the government include the Delhi-based Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and Jamia Milia University.
At the moment, despite 18-0dd clearances given by the government, only one community radio service is up and running at Anna University in Chennai. The government has also asked the director of the community radio service of the university to examine whether further help could be rendered in the Tsunami affected areas like Port Blair through such radio services.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
