I&B Ministry
MIB: No deadline to TV channels on use of foreign satellites
NEW DELHI: In what may come as a relief to TV channels, the Indian government said on Monday it has “not set any deadline” on the domestic media companies for use of transponders on foreign satellites, though it has withdrawn permission to over 200 channels for various reasons.
Asked by a fellow parliamentarian whether some TV channels were using foreign transponders even after expiry of a government deadline, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told Rajya Sabha (Upper House), “The government has not set any deadline for use of foreign transponders by the TV channel owners.”
The clarification from the MIB minister gains importance as indirect indications from various ministries — like delays in various clearances — over the last several months had been nudging TV channels to start the process of migration to Indian satellites from foreign spacecrafts.
A senior executive of a big broadcasting company admitted last week in private that though giving Rathore a free hand at MIB was a good sign, but clearance processes in the ministry were still slow.
Meanwhile, according to Rathore, out of the 867 private satellite TV channels having valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking in India as of 30 June 2018, permission of 236 TV channels were cancelled due to “various reasons, including request for cancellation by the channel owner(s)”.
I&B Ministry
MeitY extends deadline for feedback on digital media rules overhaul
Government gives stakeholders more time to respond to proposed changes in intermediary guidelines.
MUMBAI: When the rulebook gets a rewrite, even the internet needs a little extra time to read the fine print. Regulators have extended the deadline for public feedback on a proposed overhaul of India’s digital media and intermediary liability framework, giving stakeholders until April 29 to submit their views. In a notice issued on April 10, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said it was extending the consultation period for draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, following representations from several stakeholders.
At the heart of the proposals is a significant shift in how social media platforms and other intermediaries must respond to government communications. A new provision would make compliance with official “clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines” a formal part of the due diligence obligations required to retain safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.
The amendments would also expand the scope of content oversight under Part III of the rules. The digital media ethics code would now apply not only to publishers but also to intermediaries hosting or transmitting user-uploaded news and current affairs content. This could bring user-generated news more directly under regulatory scrutiny.
Additionally, the Inter-Departmental Committee’s powers would be broadened, allowing it to take up matters referred directly by the ministry rather than waiting for formal complaints. This signals a more proactive approach to content monitoring.
The existing IT Rules already impose strict requirements on intermediaries, including timely removal of unlawful content, grievance redressal mechanisms, and traceability in certain cases. Recent updates have also introduced obligations around labelling synthetically generated content.
Officials have described the amendments as necessary to create an “Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet” while improving legal clarity and enforceability.
With the extended deadline now set for April 29, the government has given industry bodies, civil society, and digital platforms additional time to respond to changes that could significantly reshape how online platforms operate and are governed in India.
In the fast-scrolling world of digital regulation, a little extra time to read the small print might just prevent bigger headaches down the line.
