I&B Ministry
MIB seeks details to simply forex payments for broadcasters, teleport ops
MUMBAI: In what it says is aimed at further easing norms for doing broadcast business, the government has asked for particulars from TV channels and teleport operators using services of foreign satellites for uplinking and temporary uplinking so payment of foreign exchange processes could be simplified.
Broadcasters need to provide the name of the company, name of the service provider, name of the country of the service provider, purpose for bandwidth utilization, service order number and validity of agreement, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in a recent advisory.
In 2014, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) advised all broadcast companies and teleport operators to strictly follow the guidelines under the provisions of the FEMA Act 1999 and a notice by the RBI requiring prior approval of the MIB for making remittance of foreign exchange towards availing transponder services on foreign satellite for up-linking of TV channels/teleport services/DSNG operations/temporary events.
The TRAI has also urged (http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/trai-releases-recommendations-on-easing-broadcast-business-180226) the government to simplify the norms regarding licensing and clearance processes for broadcast companies. It even suggested that satellite spectrum allocation must be done through the year for the convenience of broadcasters.
It asked for streamlining of process for granting permission, giving security clearances within 60 days and setting up an integrated portal for everyone’s convenience.
Late last year, the ministry had asked TRAI (http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/trai/trai-paper-seeks-to-streamline-uplinking-downlinking-norms-171219 )to come up with a new set of rules for uplinking and downlinking norms since the previous one was six years old and technological advances have changed the broadcast sector. One of the key questions was whether there was a need to redefine the meaning of news and current affairs and non-news channels.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
