I&B Ministry
MIB yet to finalise new DTH policy; interim extensions granted
MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) operators of India will have to wait a while if they were expecting something from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) regarding new DTH policy guidelines. In response to a question in the Parliament, Minister of State for MIB Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the government hasn’t yet finalised the new DTH policy.
Rathore also added that the licenses of those DTH operators whose interim renewals were getting expired on 31 December 2018 have already been granted interim extension up to 30 June 2019.
Last year TRAI had reiterated its recommendations to the Ministry on new licensing conditions for DTH players. The regulatory body had recommended that licences be issued for a period of 20 years and thereafter should be renewed every 10 years.
Earlier it was reported that MIB was looking to send the new DTH policy for Cabinet approval by the end of 2018.
The decades old DTH policy is being updated keeping the present scenario in mind, including fast changing technology and a slowing economy. Last month, MIB Secretary Amit Khare said that some sops would be handed to the DTH operators. However, he refused to comment on whether those sops would include financial rationalisation too like slashing of the annual revenue sharing with the government that is calculated at the rate of 10 per cent.
In the past, the DTH industry has demanded, among other things, cut in annual revenue share percentage to 6-8 per cent and other financial adjustments (like removal of content acquisition cost and an adjusted gross revenue) while calculating gross revenues.
Jawahar Goel, managing director of India’s biggest DTH operator (in terms of subscribers) Dish TV had written to policy-makers in October highlighting once again the industry’s woes and pleading for rationalisation of costs and taxes.
I&B Ministry
150 govt websites earn quality certification
From PMO to PSUs, India’s digital portals ace the GIGW standards test as of Jan 2026.
MUMBAI: Clicking all the right buttons, 150 government websites have proudly flaunted their Certified Quality Website (CQW) badges, earning top marks under the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) proof that not every online government page is a bureaucratic black hole.
In a crisp Rajya Sabha reply to MP Mallikarjun Kharge, minister of state for electronics and IT Jitin Prasada revealed that as of 20 January 2026, the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate had issued exactly 150 valid CQW certifications. That’s a solid lineup, 116 snagged by Central Government portals, six by State Government sites, 14 by Public Sector Undertakings, plus a handful for statutory bodies (2), autonomous bodies (5), e-voting platforms (5), and even two Central Government mobile apps.
The breakdown underscores how the voluntary scheme valid for three years with mandatory re-certification – has spread its quality net wide. High-profile heavyweights like the prime minister’s office, president’s secretariat, CERT-In, UIDAI, CBSE, TRAI, Press Information Bureau, and various ministry hubs have all passed muster. Even critical digital infrastructure, including e-voting setups and financial gateways, made the cut.
Not everyone’s a winner, though, eight hopefuls were shown the digital door for failing to meet GIGW rules. Most current certificates rolled out under GIGW version 2.0, with fresher ones nodding to the upgraded 3.0 benchmarks, a sign the bar keeps rising. Fresh approvals stretch into January 2026, with validity ticking on through 2028 and 2029 for the newest batch.
The certifications date back as far as 2008, but the bulk of today’s valid ones hail from 2023–2026, reflecting a recent push for polished, user-friendly government web presence. Full details? They’re neatly listed on the STQC website for anyone keen to browse the certified club.
In an era where clicking “government site” often means bracing for glitches, these 150 standouts are quietly proving that when it comes to quality, some portals really do load with style.
