I&B Ministry
Strong & vibrant media can ensure success of democracy: Dasmunsi
MUMBAI: The Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi is of the opinion that strong and vibrant media is necessary for ensuring optimum benefits from democracy.
Speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on South Asian Cooperation: Agenda for Media, organised by Broadcast Worldwide, he said the presence of an insightful media helps in maintaining the delicate balance between legislature, executive and judiciary.
Dasmunsi said that the media has the responsibility to ensure just place to all sections of society. “It must provide adequate space to the issues related to women and children more prominently in the rural areas so as to ensure that they also play active role in the development of the nation,” he said.
Dasmunsi added that India was looking forward to a more meaningful cooperation between the fourth estate in the member countries of Saarc. “Development of satellite technology together with widespread computerisation can catalyse efforts in achieving this goal. The print and visual media can help people understand cultural divergence and social background of people in the region,” he said.
“Saarc has been founded for the very purpose of expanding and nurturing cooperation amongst neighbouring countries, so that developments in the fields of science, technology, agriculture, education, trade and commerce etc. could benefit people of the region. The recent Saarc summit in Dhaka reiterated this solemn pledge, conceptualised by the founding fathers of the Saarc movement,” he concluded.
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.
