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TRAI’s DD FreeDish recommendations draw industry flak
Mumbai: Industry watchdog – the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) – has bowled another bouncer at the Indian broadcasting sector by recommending tight – and many say impossible deadlines – deadlines for the Prasar Bharti owned DTH operator DD FreeDish.
In its latest round of recommendations, the TRAI has asked it to stop selling non-addressable set top boxes for DD FreeDish by 1 January 2025. The public service broadcaster has been selling these for more than a decade and more than 45 million homes have them. The regulator has advised DD FreeDish to replace them with indigenously-developed STBs and addressability built in by an organisation such as C-DoT. An additional caveat that has been mentioned is that the boxes should be inter-operable with those of other cable TV netwoks and DTH platforms. It has stated that even private cable TV networks and DTH operators should also take the inter-operable STB route.
The authority has also asked it to start encrypting all private channels on its platform by 1 April 2025, followed by all DD, education, and radio channels within four years.
“This is madness,” said a senior legal counsel at a major broadcasting network. “Does the TRAI know what it is doing? Where are the chips available? The circuits? And inter-operability – which developed market has inter-operable STBs between cable TV and DTH? Each player has his own CAS? I am sure this is going to be challenged very shortly. “
Another broadcasting executive added: “The recommendations make it appear as if the TRAI wanted to placate the DPOs who have been demanding a level playing field between DD and the encrypted platforms. Please check whether DD and Prasar Bharti expected things to go in the direction that TRAI has said. I don’t expect the recommendations to be implemented in my lifetime.”
(Indiantelevision.com had managed to get only the private sector’s viewpoint and had not managed to get through to either TRAI or Prasar Bharti at the time of writing.)
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
