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Marathon IBF meeting on CAS ends with agreement on way forward
The Union Cabinet gave the go-ahead to bring about amendments to The Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 to allow the imposition of conditional access systems in India a few minutes ago by government regulation. The clearance came in the form of an “enabling provision”, which means that the government can – if it chooses to – push ahead with CAS when it chooses to exercise that power. The Union Cabinet met today amidst speculation in the television trade that it would not be able to do so as a function in Parliament was keeping it busy. But the meeting was postponed to 7 pm and CAS was included in the agenda..
Following the Cabinet clearance, the government has the powers to make addressable set top boxes mandatory for pay TV channels. It can also fix the maximum price that can be levied for the basic tier consisting of free to air channels which cable TV operators provide to subscribers. The Cabinet however did not dwell on technology issues.
A time frame was not decided when CAS would be given the push by government, but a government official stated that he was hopeful that since the amendments have been cleared they should go to parliament in this session. “We are hopeful it will be passed by the House before it adjourns on 16 May.” .
The go-ahead to CAS is going to cause a lot of heartburn amongst broadcasters, who have been opposing it, saying it has to be carried out in a proper manner. In fact, Star Asia boss James Murdoch had blasted the CAS initiative by the government, and had been making presentations to government against it, saying that broadcasters would lose even the minimum basic subscriptions revenues that they were generating from cable TV ops because of CAS.
Indiantelevision.com believes that lobbying and opposition to CAS is going to commence from broadcasters in the near future, who are likely to try and unite against it.
Contrary to expectations the move to bring about amendments to cable TV regulations did not meet with much opposition from the cabinet. The Rakesh Mohan committee had also recommended that the rollout of CAS be done in a phased manner beginning with the metros first.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
