I&B Ministry
Jaipal Reddy calls for doing away with MIB
MUMBAI: Junk the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB). That’s the call that once MIB minister Jaipal Reddy – who held the portfolio during the Congress I regime in the previous decade – is giving these days. Writing a column in The Hindu last week, he said “It is important to note that no advanced democracy, be it in western Europe or in North America, has a ministry called I&B. Those democracies instead have independent commissions. In the US, for example, the Federal Communications Commission has been effective in regulating the functions of television companies for more than a half a century.”
Reddy points out in the column that “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel briefly handled the home ministry after India attained independence, and he also handled the MIB. He used the MIB portfolio to reach out to the people with urgent messages during the country’s formative and most difficult period.”
He highlights that the “the political demand for conferring autonomy of DD gained volume only in the 1970s, because of which the BG Verghese Committee went into the question and submitted its recommendations. But it assumed the shape of a specific statute only in 1990 when leaders from all parties, including Rajiv Gandhi as the opposition leader, reached a consensus. It fell on me as the I&B minister in 1997 to notify the Act — the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990. At that time, I made a public statement that the time had come for abolishing the I&B Ministry.”
According to Reddy, Prasar Bharati can truly enjoy independence when it is given financial independence. Says he in the column: “The BBC enjoys financial autonomy as the citizens pay fees compulsorily and directly to it. As a consequence of this freedom, the BBC sometimes takes on the British Prime Minister as well, not to speak of the government.”
So why garbage the ministry? Reddy has his reasoning. Says he: If a minister is there for the portfolio, he/she cannot sit idle; they poke their nose into the functioning of such institutions by way of self-employment. Hence, the urgency to abolish this portfolio.”
There’s nothing really new about his yelling about this from the rooftops – he’s done it in the past too – as he mentions in his column. He was instrumental in the drafting of the Broadcasting Regulatory Authority of India Bill in 1998. Nothing came of it then. Will someone in the Modi government listen to him this time?
I&B Ministry
India moves closer to age restrictions on social media
Government weighs options from under-13 ban to graded access amid rising safety concerns.
MUMBAI: The Indian government is finally ready to draw a line in the scroll because when children are spending more time on screens than in playgrounds, even policymakers have to hit pause. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has held multiple rounds of discussions with social media platforms and industry stakeholders to explore whether companies can technically enforce age-based access controls. Currently, India has no uniform mechanism to restrict social media usage by age.
The issue has gained momentum at both state and national levels. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have already signalled intent to introduce restrictions, with more states expected to follow. Internationally, Australia has banned access for users under 16, while similar measures are under consideration in parts of Europe and the US.
Officials indicated that broader political consensus is being sought before any nationwide decision. Policymakers are evaluating options ranging from a complete ban for younger users to a graded system allowing limited, age-appropriate access on platforms such as Youtube and Meta.
A key point of debate is the age threshold whether restrictions should apply below 13 (in line with several global norms) or extend to 16. The discussion has been intensified by concerns raised by the National Human Rights Commission about children’s exposure to harmful content, misinformation, cyberbullying, fraud and digital addiction.
Industry voices have cautioned against an outright ban, arguing it could push younger users towards unregulated or illicit spaces, making enforcement even harder. The government is studying global regulatory approaches and their outcomes, while the Economic Survey earlier this year recommended age-based controls and stronger platform accountability.
With consultations ongoing and multiple stakeholders involved, the framework is still evolving, but momentum is clearly building toward some form of regulation. Any decision will have significant implications for social media companies operating in India, given the country’s large and young user base.
In a nation where children are growing up with smartphones in hand, the Centre is preparing to decide how early they should be allowed to scroll striking a delicate balance between protection and freedom in the world’s largest digital playground.
