I&B Ministry
Inter-Ministerial Task Force studying education in media related courses
NEW DELHI: An Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Education in Media related courses has been constituted by the Human Resource Development Ministry for the studying the feasibility of a communication university.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore informed the Parliament that this force has representatives from the concerned Ministries and regulators as also persons of repute and eminence from the fields of cinema, TV, print media, theatre and performing arts.
While there is no proposal at present to set up a communication university, he said that there has been a demand from certain sections of media that a communication university be set up to meet the growing demands of all types of communication systems.
In order to discuss the feasibility of setting up such type of institution along with its proposed structure and mechanism, the I&B Ministry has initiated the process to hold the consultations with various stakeholders.
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.
