I&B Ministry
MIB taking up EMMC contractual workers issues on top priority
MUMBAI: Several hundreds contractual workers of the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), which falls under the ministry of information and broadcasting yesterday protested in New Delhi. They were demanding increase in the duration of their contract period as well as wage hike.
However, a ministry official said the demands raised by EMMC employees were “not new, and they are being taken up with top priority” by the ministry.
In a memorandum to the information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu, the employees demanded raise in their salaries alleging that they had not got any hike in the last three years while the Central government employees were getting wages as per 7th Pay Commission recommendations. They also claimed that a majority of them had working there for around 7-8 years.
The protesters, demonstrating outside the Shastri Bhawan, said that they were employed on contractual basis for three months. For the last three times, they claimed, that they were assessed on the basis of a written test while, earlier it was done on the basis of work. The employees said the workers in similar media organisations such as Doordarshan News were employed on a year’s contract, and were judged on the basis of work.
I&B Ministry
Chanchal Kumar appointed MIB secretary
1992-batch officer shifts from DoNER as Sanjay Jaju heads the north-east ministry
New Delhi: The government has rejigged its top bureaucracy, appointing Chanchal Kumar as secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, replacing Sanjay Kumar Jaju in a swift senior-level switch.
Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, moves from the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), where he had been serving as secretary. He steps into MIB as Jaju exits to take charge as secretary, DoNER.
Kumar is no stranger to handling multiple mandates. In December 2025, while at DoNER, he briefly held additional charge as secretary in the Department of Telecommunications during Neeraj Mittal’s leave from December 12 to December 21, ensuring continuity at a critical time.
Jaju, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, had taken over as secretary, MIB in February 2024, succeeding Apurva Chandra, who moved to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. His tenure combined administrative continuity with a sharper policy pitch on trust in India’s fast-evolving media and advertising landscape.
Speaking at the AdTrust Summit 2026 organised by the Advertising Standards Council of India, Jaju warned that misleading promotions risk eroding public trust even as digital platforms expand reach for businesses, startups and creators. He flagged rising threats from financial scams, deceptive investment schemes and fraudulent job advertisements targeting vulnerable users.
While noting that commercial speech is protected under freedom of expression, Jaju argued that misleading advertising must face regulatory scrutiny. He pushed for a shift in industry priorities—from scale to credibility, authenticity and transparency—especially in disclosures and sponsored content. Truthfulness, accountability and safeguards for vulnerable audiences, he said, must anchor the ecosystem.
Jaju’s move to DoNER and Kumar’s arrival at MIB signal a calibrated reshuffle at the top—continuity in governance, but with a clear message: credibility is the new currency.
