I&B Ministry
Lemon News warned for airing programme promoting superstition & blind belief
NEW DELHI: Lemon TV has been warned by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for telecasting a programme ‘Khauf ke 10 Destinations’ on 11 December, 2013 referring to 10 places in Mumbai, which it claimed are haunted and where there was dominance of evil spirits and invisible powers.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee, which had received a reply to its show-cause notice and even heard channel representatives in October last year said ‘strict compliance’ may be ensured by Lemon News TV Channel.
Any further violation shall entail such action against Lemon News TV channel as deemed fit in accordance with the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules framed thereunder as also the terms and conditions of the permission/approval granted under uplinking/downlinking, the MIB said.
The channel, in its reply to the show-cause notice, said it had not only clarified in the programme that it did not believe in such superstitions, but had interviewed people who said these stories related to the past. When asked to appear before the IMC, the channel representatives had tendered an apology.
However, the IMC said the channel presented the so-called incidents in an overtly sensational manner thereby appearing to instill superstition in the minds of viewers. It was noted by IMC that the channel created horrifying sound effects and also created images of ghost during the telecast of this programme giving the whole programme a horrendous look.
The IMC thus observed that the telecast of the programme seemed to promote blind belief and superstition and there was clear violation of the provisions of the programme code, particularly Rules 6(1)(a), 6(1) (i) and 6(1) (o).
The IMC noted that even though the channel had apologized for the lapse, it could not escape the responsibility of ensuring content on their channel, which must be in conformity with the programme code at all times.
Lemon TV had shown a number of stories connected with evil spirits and also telecast bytes of local people who seem to have experienced these incidents. The reporting appeared to be intended to generate fear, anxiety and phobia in the minds of the viewers. Telecasting such programme in a news channel appeared to sensationalise with little news value. This programme appeared to offend good taste and decency, encourages superstition or blind belief as also, the programme did not appear suitable for unrestricted public exhibition, the IMC said.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
