I&B Ministry
MIB had resolved 265 complaints regarding OTT: MIB minister Anurag Thakur
Mumbai: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) minister Anurag Thakur, has informed the Rajya Sabha that MIB had resolved 265 complaints regarding over the top (OTT) content under the IT rules, 2021.
“Since the notification of the Rules, the ministry has received 265 grievances, which have been addressed in accordance with the laid down procedure,” the minister said.
A Code of Ethics must be followed by publishers of online curated content, according to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Ministry of Electronics and IT had said in a statement at the time of introducing the rules, “Since the matter relates to digital platforms, therefore, a conscious decision was taken that issues relating to digital media and OTT and other creative programmes on Internet shall be administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting but the overall architecture shall be under the Information Technology Act, which governs digital platforms.”
As part of the rule announced in February 2021, the government also established a three level grievance redressal mechanism to handle complaints regarding Code violations.
The three tier mechanism for resolving grievances is as follows: Level I: Self regulation by broadcasters; Level II: Self regulation by the broadcasters’ self regulatory organisations; and Level III: A mechanism for central government oversight.
According to the regulations, OTT platforms must automatically categorise the content into the following five age based categories: U (Universal), U/A 7+ (years), U/A 13+, U/A 16+ and A. (Adult).
The minister predicted that India’s OTT market would grow at a rate of 21 per cent per year to reach $2 Billion by 2024 while speaking at a summit last year.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
