Applications
Govt sets up system to track TV channel applications
NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has introduced a ‘Satellite TV Channels Application Tracking System’ (STATS) to bring complete transparency in the entire system of approvals for new channels.
This first-ever initiative allows applicants to get updates on the status of their applications online. Software developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) will enable companies to log on to an especially designed programme to know the status of their applications. The link has been made available on the website of the Ministry, www.mib.nic.in.
The applicant companies can log on with their Unique Company Identification Number (CIN) and a password to use the software. Each company can see the information related to the channels for which they have applied. In addition to the status of the channels, companies can also get information regarding the status of their applications, regarding SNG/DSNG vans, change of name, change of logo, change of directors of the company, change in the shareholding pattern, extension of period of operationalisation and licence renewal.
This initiative follows the start of the system introduced a couple of months earlier of Open House meetings on the 5th of every month where applicant companies can participate and get information about the status of their applications.
The Ministry has urged the applicant companies to make full use of the software and actively engage with the Ministry by giving their comments and suggestions for further improvement.
Under the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of private TV notified in 2005, the Ministry has till date permitted 516 private channels. Permissions have also been given to set up 78 teleports.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
