I&B Ministry
Regulatory body for electronic media mooted
MUMBAI: Press Council of India (PCI) chairman K Jayachandra Reddy has said that the Council has suggested to the Central Government it constitute a regulatory authority for the electronic media, on the lines of the PCI, to function as a watchdog panel.
The Hindu Businessline quoted Reddy as saying at a press conference in Hyderabad yesterday that it was not fair to leave the electronic media unregulated while subjecting the print media alone to all kinds of regulations. Reddy, however, expressed reservations over the regulatory authority on the electronic media taking shape in the near future.
Reddy’s comments are likely to lead to the resurfacing of the debate that was raised in June last year on whether the print and the electronic media should have a combined regulatory body – a media council. It is an idea that has been on and off for a long while now.
The media council idea has been strongly resisted by broadcasters through their representative body the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
Of course such a body would come in as a given if the proposed Communications Convergence Bill. The bill envisages a super-regulator, the Communication Commission of India (CCI), which would be created after is passed and monitor the content being beamed by the channels.
In the absence of such a commission, broadcasters favour a self regulator. “The broadcasting industry has been unregulated ever since its inception. And there has been no major problems relating to security or objectionable content. Hence, there is no need for an outside council to regulate content now,” has been the stated stand of the IBF. The IBF also fears that since the number of players in the print media is larger than those in the electronic media, any such merged council could be skewed in favour of those representing print media.
I&B Ministry
MeitY proposes tighter rules for digital platforms and intermediaries
Fresh amendments aim to formalise government directions and expand content oversight.
MUMBAI: When the rulebook gets an upgrade, even the internet might need to sit up and pay attention because India’s digital regulators are clearly not scrolling idly. India’s technology regulators have proposed a fresh set of amendments to the country’s digital media and intermediary liability framework, seeking to expand oversight of online content and formalise the government’s authority to issue binding directions to platforms.
In a notice issued on 30 March, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) invited public comments on changes to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The revisions are described as “clarificatory and procedural” but are clearly aimed at strengthening compliance and enforcement.
At the heart of the proposal is a significant shift in how intermediaries, including social media platforms, respond to government advisories. A newly inserted provision would make compliance with official “clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines” a formal part of the due diligence obligations required for platforms to retain legal immunity under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This change effectively elevates government communications from guidance to enforceable obligations, tightening the regulatory loop between the state and digital platforms.
The amendments also expand the scope of content oversight under Part III of the rules, which governs digital media ethics. The proposed revisions clarify that the code will apply not only to publishers but also to intermediaries hosting news and current affairs content uploaded by users. This could bring user-generated news content more directly within the ambit of regulatory scrutiny, a move likely to raise questions about platform liability and editorial responsibility.
Further, the government has proposed broadening the mandate of the Inter-Departmental Committee, a key oversight body. The committee would no longer be limited to adjudicating complaints but could also take up matters referred directly by the ministry. This shift signals a more proactive regulatory posture, allowing authorities to initiate reviews without waiting for formal grievances.
The draft builds on an already expansive framework. The existing IT Rules impose detailed due diligence requirements on intermediaries, including obligations to remove unlawful content within tight timelines, maintain grievance redressal systems, and ensure traceability in certain cases. Recent amendments have also introduced provisions addressing synthetically generated content, requiring platforms to label such material and deploy technical measures to prevent misuse.
Officials framed the latest proposals as necessary to ensure an “Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet,” while improving “legal certainty” and the enforceability of regulatory directions.
Stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback by 14 April, setting the stage for what could become another consequential evolution in India’s digital governance regime.
In the fast-moving world of online content, these tweaks suggest the government is keen to keep the guardrails firmly in place – because when the internet grows wilder, even regulators feel the need to hit refresh on the rulebook.
