I&B Ministry
IIS review aimed at strengthening cadre
NEW DELHI: The Government has decided to undertake a cadre restructuring of the Indian Information Service (IIS) Group ‘A’ with an aim of better functioning of media and communication arms of government.
This decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.
The restructuring will involve addition of two posts at apex level, five at Higher Administrative Grade and 19 posts at Senior Administrative Grade level with matching reduction at other levels.
The restructuring will address the problem of existing stagnation in the IIS Cadre and will improve the career prospects of IIS officers.
The announcement after the cabinet meeting said the Cadre review exercise will result in better functioning of media and communication arms of the government.
The Cadre review comes in the backdrop of ongoing efforts to expand the outreach of pro-people policies of the government and the need to disseminate the information of such measures which have grown manifold in the recent years.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
