I&B Ministry
MIB sets up toll free call centre for seamless transition of DAS
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has set up a Toll Free Telephone Number 1-800-180-4343 to answer queries of stakeholders, including consumers, for seamless transition to digitisation. To begin with the queries can be answered in 8 Indian languages – Hindi, English, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu,Tamil & Kannada.
After the completion of first two phases of cable TV digitisation, which covered 4 metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai) and 38 cities having populations of more than 10 lakh each, Phase III of digitisation is underway. It would cover all the remaining urban areas in the country and is to be completed by 31 Dec 2015.
The MIB has been facilitating the smooth switchover to digitisation. In this connection a list of urban areas to be covered in Phase III has been finalised in consultation with the state/Union Territory Governments. A Task Force has been constituted which is meeting every month to take stock of the progress. State and Union Territory Governments have nominated state level and district level nodal officers for coordination work. 10 workshops have been conducted by the Ministry of I&B at regional level to sensitise the nominated nodal officers about their role in the digitisation process.
Twelve regional units have also been set up by the MIB for effective coordination. Secretary (I&B) has requested all the Chief Secretaries to set up monitoring committees to review preparedness for digitisation. Broadcasters as well as Multi System Operators (MSOs) have launched public awareness campaign. MIS software has been made operational for collection of seeding status of Set Top Boxes (STBs) online from registered MSOs, Direct To Home (DTH) and Headend In the Sky (HITS) operators.
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.
