I&B Ministry
Mass Comm courses in regional languages significant: Naidu
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed the vast need of skilled personnel in the media and entertainment sector in the country as the sector was expanding rapidly.
The Minister referred to the prominent role being played by the Government’s Skill India Initiative for upgrading skills under multiple disciplines. He added that the vision of this Government was to bring Transformational changes in all sectors.
Speaking about the changing paradigm in communication, the Minister said Social Media has broken the boundaries of time and space in communication. It is a pre-requisite for budding journalists to be social media savvy and to have a watchful eye about the public perception on issues of local and international importance.
He advised students aspiring to become journalists in future to ensure that news and views are not mixed and be objective. Every budding young journalist should have an open mind to acquire maximum knowledge to present the perspective in an objective manner. He urged students to keep abreast with the latest developments, new technology and new modes of communication and should inculcate a habit of reading to remain relevant and effective.
He also called upon the Indian Institute of Mass Communications to strive for journalism courses in all Indian languages to cater to the communication needs of the citizens all across the country.
The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the First PG Diploma course in Urdu Journalism, the 67th Diploma course in Development Journalism, and the launch of the IIMC Journal “Communicator” at Shastri Bhawan.
Emphasizing on the training methodology, Naidu said it was important in the current scenario to include Case studies and practical exposure as a part of curriculum for learning, practising and applying new concepts. He also stressed the need for imparting an outlook that is rooted in strong ethical values among budding journalists and communicators.
Naidu said Urdu journalism was an important and integral part of media and communication landscape of our country which had played an important role in the Freedom Struggle.
Inaugurating the 67th Development Journalism course, the Minister said India is today regaining the lost glory of being the Knowledge hub of the world. The Development Journalism course provided a great opportunity for understanding and appreciating each other’s culture, and developing bonds of friendship.
He added that journalist scholars from various Developing Countries were unofficial Ambassadors of India who shall provide a link of brotherhood among different cultures through their writings. The 67th batch of Development Journalism course at IIMC has 23 scholars (12 females and 11 males) from 19 different countries.
I&B Ministry
Govt panel clears D2M broadcasting, flags stakeholder review
Policy momentum builds for D2M ahead of expected 2026 rollout
NEW DELHI: The government has taken a decisive step towards rolling out direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting in India, with the Committee of Secretaries giving in-principle approval to the proposal while simultaneously ordering a deeper examination of stakeholder concerns, according to a Storyboard18 report.
People familiar with the discussions said the decision reflects the Centre’s determination to push ahead with next-generation broadcast technologies, even as it seeks to manage growing resistance from telecom operators wary of the impact on mobile video revenues.
The move follows a referral by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the committee of secretaries, rather than placing the proposal directly before the Union Cabinet, as was initially envisaged. The inter-ministerial panel includes representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Space, and the MIB.
“The clearance keeps the policy engine running without ignoring due process,” said a senior industry executive, requesting anonymity. “It signals commitment without forcing a rushed decision.”
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, working with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs, now part of Tejas Networks, is conducting D2M trials across more than 19 cities. The technology allows live television and multimedia content to be transmitted directly to mobile phones without internet connectivity or a SIM card.
Officials see D2M as a strategic public-interest tool, particularly for regions with weak digital infrastructure. Use cases include education, disaster alerts and emergency messaging. “This is being framed as a complement to telecom networks, not a replacement,” said an executive involved in the consultations.
Telecom operators remain unconvinced. They argue that D2M could undercut mobile video consumption, one of the sector’s fastest-growing revenue streams and have questioned both the commercial logic and technical robustness of the trials.
Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India has criticised the testing process, alleging departures from principles of transparency, consultation and technology neutrality, and has called for fresh trials with broader stakeholder participation.
The government and Prasar Bharati have countered these objections with technical evidence. Studies led by IIT Kanpur found that D2M operations in the 470–582 MHz band do not cause harmful interference with existing 4G and 5G networks, nor do they lead to abnormal handset heating. The findings were independently certified by Aracion Technology, a NABL-accredited firm.
The MIB has been among D2M’s strongest advocates, frequently pointing to India’s access gap. Of roughly 280 million households, about 190 million have television access, leaving nearly 90 million TV-dark. By contrast, the country has around 800 million smartphone users and another 250 million feature-phone users.
The newly constituted committee will examine spectrum frameworks, regulatory safeguards and stakeholder concerns, even as pilot deployments continue. Industry executives say the signal from the Centre is unmistakable. “The question now is execution, not intent,” said a senior broadcast executive.
Commercial rollouts are expected to begin by mid-2026, with wider launches towards the end of the year. The MIB has also appointed Ernst & Young as project management consultant to design a national D2M roadmap, including a viable revenue and business model.
