I&B Ministry
Jaitley stresses need to integrate communication across social media platforms
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today said the “Talkathon” serves as independent interview, which runs live on social media and taken up by all private channels as well.
He added that it offered an opportunity to integrate communication across platforms as well as a direct interface with the audiences.
Addressing a meeting of Consultative Committee of MPs attached to his Ministry to discuss the issue of “Harnessing role of Social Media,” he said the digital mode had become an effective medium to communicate to the wide audience while at the same time it offered opportunities to innovate.
Referring to the Doordarshan (DD) app launched on 7 May, 2015, the Minister mentioned that this initiative provided an opportunity to address the needs of the audience, which followed the dissemination of information on the digital mode.
Jaitley also said efforts would be made to popularize the digital mode of the 100 volumes of Mahatma Gandhi compiled by the Publications Division on the social media platforms of the Ministry.
At the meeting, which was also attended by Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore, a presentation was made by Secretary (I&B) Bimal Julka giving an overview of the steps and initiatives undertaken so far by the Ministry in harnessing the potential of the social media for disseminating the information relating to the important initiatives of the Government.
Members gave suggestions to enhance the reach of the Government coverage through All India Radio (AIR) and DD, especially in areas that required dissemination. It was emphasized that efforts needed to be taken to promote the reach of social media to those segments, which at times suffered due to lack of technological access. It was also suggested that measures need to be taken to facilitate information flow to the young target audience and institutions in rural areas. Members also suggested that content needed to be tailored consistently to address the information needs of the people.
Members who attended the meeting Dr. Jayakumar Jayavardhan, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Tapas Paul, V. Sathyabama, Anil Madhav Dave, Jaya Bachchan, Dr. K. Keshava Rao, Madhusudan Mistry, Neeraj Shekhar and Vivek Gupta.
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.
