I&B Ministry
MIB zaps 144 TV channels for code breaches
Government tunes out 144 TV offenders with warnings, scrolls, and shutdowns from 2021-2025.
MUMBAI: Zapping the airwaves like a faulty remote, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has dished out 144 enforcement slaps to private satellite TV channels for flouting the Programme and Advertising Codes under the 1995 Cable Television Networks Act proving that in the broadcast biz, breaking rules can lead to a swift channel change.
In a parliamentary ping-pong session, minister of state L Murugan spilled the beans to AAP MP Raghav Chadha, revealing how channels must toe the line or face the music: no attacking religions, stirring communal pots, or slinging slander at society’s moral fibre. It’s all enshrined in those codes, designed to keep the telly tame and tasteful.
But wait, there’s a plot twist, the government beefed up its watchdog role with the 2021 amendments on 17 June, rolling out a three-tier grievance gauntlet. First, broadcasters handle the heat themselves, if that fizzles, self-regulating bodies step in; and finally, the Centre swoops like a censor superhero for the knockout punch. No direct meddling in the early rounds, mind you just oversight when things get sticky.
The stats paint a pixelated picture of the crackdown, 43 actions in 2021, peaking at 52 in 2022, dipping to 37 in 2023, then a dramatic fade with just four in 2024 and eight in 2025. Breaking it down, that’s 35 gentle nudges via advisories, 50 stern warnings, 54 orders for those cringe-worthy apology scrolls crawling across screens, three outright off-air blackouts, one full permission yank, and even a lone disclaimer decree for good measure.
While 2022 stole the spotlight for most interventions, the recent years suggest a calmer channel lineup or perhaps broadcasters are finally getting the memo. The Ministry keeps firing off advisories like reminder texts, ensuring everyone plays nice, with heavier hammers reserved for the real rotters.
And for those wondering if local lingo channels get a free pass? Nope the rules blanket all, from national heavyweights to regional rabble-rousers. In this era of amended airwaves, it’s clear the government’s grievance grid is no mere static, it’s a tuned-in tool keeping the broadcast boat from rocking too wildly.
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.
