I&B Ministry
Three complaints of TV shows promoting superstition & blind belief registered in 2013-2014
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said there were only three complaints of television channels promoting superstition and blind belief in 2013 and 2014.
He told Parliament that the existing provisions contained in the Programme and Advertisement Codes and existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content.
However, advisories were issued in November 2011 and June last year to all channels not to promote such programmes.
The complaints on which warnings were issued include: ‘Ladkiyon Ka Gumnaam Bodyguard’ which promoted superstition and blind belief on Bansal News last year and ‘Rahasya’ for promoting superstition and blind belief on India News earlier this year.
An advisory was issued following telecast of ‘Aaj No Mahima, Desh Ni Gruh Dasha’ showing superstition and blind belief on Sandesh News (Transmedia News) in June last year.
Javadekar said the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the Rules framed thereunder do not provide for any pre-censorship of such programmes.
However, programmes telecast on such TV channels are required to conform to the Programme Code prescribed under Rules 6 of Cable Television Network Rules 1994. Specifically, Rule 6 (1) (j) of the Programme Code provides that no programme should be carried in the Cable Service which encourages superstition and blind-belief.
Appropriate action is taken against the channel, if violation of the Programme Code is established.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
