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Tag: Bimal Julka

  • Third Indian Panorama Film Festival to kick off in Shillong

    Third Indian Panorama Film Festival to kick off in Shillong

    NEW DELHI: A festival of selected films from the Indian Panorama is being held in Shillong in Meghalaya from 12 March. 

     

    To be inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in the presence of Information & Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, it will present a bouquet of the best of contemporary Indian cinema produced in different languages with a view to promoting quality cinema from different parts of the country.

     

    Eight feature films and three non-feature films will be screened over three days. The film festival is being organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals in collaboration with the state government.

     

    The festival will open with the Marathi feature film, Dr. Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero directed by Samruoddhi Porey. 

    Other feature films to be screened during the festival are Drishyam (Malayalam), December 1 (Kannada), Kuttram Kadithal (Tamil), Ankhon Dekhi (Hindi), Othello (Assamese), Ri (Khasi), Teenkahon (Bengali) and Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona (Bengali). Non-feature films to be screened during the festival are Songs of the Blue Hills by Utpal Borpujari (Nagamese/English), A Dream Never Dies (Assamese) and Ek Hota Kau (Marathi). 

    Indian Panorama Film Festival is being held in Shillong for the last two years and this will be the third edition of the festival.

  • Reliance Jio awaits security clearance for pan India MSO licence

    Reliance Jio awaits security clearance for pan India MSO licence

    NEW DELHI: Despite announcements by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry about expediting clearances, several proposals by private multi-system operators have remained pending for long periods either with the I&B or the Home Ministry. 

     

    However, I&B secretary Bimal Julka told Indiantelevision.com today that a letter had been sent to the Home Ministry to expedite security clearances, so that the DAS targets could be met.

     

    The Ministry said a proposal by Reliance Jio for registration as a multi-system operator (MSO) under the digital addressable system was sent to the Home Ministry on 2 Feburary for security clearance.

     

    The representative of Reliance Jio, Abhishek Soni, was told that the Home Ministry will take some time to furnish comments/security clearance.

     

    CAT Vision, during a recently held open house meeting, was told that a reminder was being sent to the Home Ministry in its case. Signum Digital Network was also given the same assurance.

     

    Digirevo Networks received a similar response to its query at the open house meeting.   

     

    Indiverse Broadband was told that its request for foreign direct investment (FDI) had been turned down by the Finance Ministry. Its representative said the company had already informed the I&B Ministry in June last year that it no longer needed FDI. However, it was informed by the Ministry officials that no such response had been received from the company.

  • Technological touch points leading to convergence in media: Jaitley

    Technological touch points leading to convergence in media: Jaitley

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has said that the future belonged to digital media due to its reach, scale, variety and accessibility as technology influenced change in the communication landscape.

     

    The technological thrust also impacted the nature of information dissemination in view of changes taking place globally across platforms. These rapid changes had led to a convergence of technological touch points in the media space, impacting the nature and flow of information dissemination.

     
    Jaitley said the nature and character of news dissemination had undergone change due to the challenges thrown by 24×7 television consistently. The camera today had become the prime mover for defining content and setting the agenda, thereby impacting the flow of news.

     

    The remarks were made while inaugurating the workshop on ‘Streamlining Government Communication’ organised by Press Information Bureau under the aegis of the Ministry here.

     

    On the relevance and importance of government communication in the changed communication paradigm, Jaitley said the environment today offered a tremendous opportunity to stakeholders within the government to disseminate credible, factual, relevant and reader friendly information. A large constituency even today existed which required authentic and credible information from the government. The Minister called upon the participants to package data, facts and information keeping in mind contemporary tools and trends, media requirements and content for opinion makers and analysts in the media space.

     

    Regarding the packaging of Government information, the Minister emphasized that Government Departments needed to optimally utilize their websites to place accurate and credible information. The website platforms were an important medium to address concerns of stakeholders who required information related to the policies and initiatives of the Government. The content of the website needed to be in a language which was easy to read and understand. Each Ministry also needed to cultivate the mechanism of reaching out to those stakeholders who constituted the wider assembly of people including representatives of the people/civil society, etc.

     

    Jaitley also referred to the need to utilize different tools available in the social media space i.e. Twitter, Blog, Facebook to enhance the reach of Government communication. During the course of the address, the Minister also mentioned that the media needed to take a comprehensive view of the decision making process while highlighting the decisions taken by the Government. In his remarks to the participants, Minister of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the current communication perspective was driven by speed, accuracy, brevity and clarity of thought. It was imperative to utilize new tools of communication for enhancing outreach to a wide range of stakeholders. Perception management had also become a critical tool in the communication paradigm and needed to be addressed in totality.

     

    In his opening remarks, I&B secretary Bimal Julka gave an overview of the efforts being made by the Ministry of I&B to position the communication approaches of the Government. Julka outlined the key initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to address the new challenges in the context of adopting a 360 degree approach, integrated media planning and initiatives undertaken in the social media space. Julka also outlined the specific initiatives undertaken for Swachh Bharat Mission, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and PM’s Jan Dhan Yojana along with efforts of the Ministry in addressing the crisis situation. Emphasizing the need of integrating the IEC component within proposals for consideration/approval, secretary called upon the participants to formulate the Cabinet proposals wherein the IEC component was an inbuilt part of the said proposal. This would enhance the communication efforts and address the budgetary requirements.

     

    In his welcome address, PIB director general (Media and Communications) Frank Noronha referred to the critical role being played by PIB in view of the paradigm shift in the media space and the needs and requirement of stakeholders. He also highlighted the need for synergy among various Ministries/Departments for better outreach of Government policies/programmes.

     

    The one day Workshop discussed various perspectives/issues on Changing Media Scenario viz Emergences of Social Media, Communication of Financial Policy of the Government to Regional Media’, and ‘PMO Perspectives on Media Communication among others through Technical Sessions, Panel Discussions, Open-house Discussions, Question & Answer Sessions, etc. The Workshop is being attended by officers of the level of Joint Secretary and above along with Private Secretaries to Ministers from various Ministries and Departments. The Workshop aims to integrate the enhanced role of Government communication through various media platforms.  

     

    Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth said in the new communication environment, there was a need to integrate and synergise government efforts in a professional and calibrated manner. This was critical in view of the change in the mode, nature and content of communication. The need of the hour was to device modalities to deliver services and access to information. This would enable the government to engage with citizens and receive feedback. Ministries and departments need to be geared up to address the challenges of information dissemination especially in the social media space. There was a need to put in place strategies to utilise social media as a tool to interact with the people.

     

    Seth added that in the recent past, efforts had been made to mainstream communication in addressing disaster and emergency situations as there is a dearth of information in such situations. The challenge was also in view of the different communication requirements of concerned stakeholders and recipients. The officers of Press Information Bureau need to be empowered and given timely information.

     

    Elaborating, the Cabinet Secretary mentioned that in view of the recent initiatives of the government such as “Digital India”, the crowdsourcing method had been adopted. This in turn reiterated the need to have a strategy for addressing issues in totality. In view of the framework adopted for the current workshop, states should be encouraged to organise such workshops on a similar pattern.

     

    Inviting suggestions for the forthcoming Civil Services Day on how to equip civil servants professionally in order to discharge their responsibilities better, he mentioned that one of the areas for discussions could be enhancing the ability of civil servants to communicate.

  • DD Kisan set for launch on Baisakhi

    DD Kisan set for launch on Baisakhi

    NEW DELHI: The launch of the 24-hour channel devoted to farmers and rural India – DD Kisan – has been pushed back by three months to Baisakhi Day on 14 April as Doordarshan has still to complete all the formalities relating to staff and programme. 

     

    The channel was earlier slated to launch on Makar Sankranti on 14 January but Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has now been assured that all arrangements would be completed by mid-April. 

     

    As per information available with Indiantelevision.com, the assurance was given in Jaitley’s customary morning meeting with senior officials of his Ministry as well as Prasar Bharati. 

     

    Jaitley sought full details of the work done on the channel, for which he had set aside Rs 100 crore in the Budget in his capacity as Finance Minister. However, the budget for I&B Ministry shows an allocation of Rs 90 crore for the same in the year 2014-15.

     

    DD sources told Indiantelevision.com that the Minister had been assured that all preparations would be completed by mid-April. It was also stated that 14 April is a very important day for farmers as it marks the start of the sowing season.

     

    Apart from Jaitley and Miniser of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, I&B secretary Bimal Julka, Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar and senior DD officials were present in the meeting held earlier this week. 

     

    Noting that the proposed Doordarshan Kisan is a dedicated channel for the farmers to give them information targeted to address the wholesome edutainment needs of a farmer to adopt and adapt to modern scenario, the national broadcaster had in early December invited proposals for programmes under the Self Financing Commissioned (SFC) Scheme. 

     

    DD sources said that the content expected for DD Kisan will primarily address the developmental needs of the farmer addressing ‘Core Agriculture’, ‘Critical Support’ and ‘Essential Ancillary’ areas, keeping in mind the varied Agro-Economic Zones, Climatic Areas, Different Crops and the need to address the target audience spread across various states but will have to be entertaining and engaging. 

     

    The content on DD Kisan will be in Hindi with regional dubbing. 

     

    The genres for which it invited proposals were: Documentaries/Features (Field Based); Magazines/Docu Dramas (Field Based); Cookery Shows/Biographies; Daily Soap/Fiction Serials/Family Serials/Thrillers; film song based programmes; Reality Shows/Game Shows; and Mandi Bhav/Bazar Bhav/Agro Based Bulletins.

     

    In addition, DD Kisan will have a new segment for iconic characters plus content packaging where animation characters will convey the agricultural themes and desired messaging. It is expected that the participants under this category will also provide layouts of the channel’s packaging. 

     

    The channel will also have a segment for edited feature films where the entire film is expected to be capsuled with anchor based presentation for 60 minutes. 

     

    In the Bazar Bhav/ Mandi Bhav segments, updates from the mandis including the template will be required to be provided, which will give the core audiences suitable direction and help in the agricultural activity. 

     

    Ministry sources highlighted Prasar Bharati’s plan to take inputs from different Agricultural Universities and Institutes to develop rich content for the channel. 

     

    DD is hoping to engage people in the fields of production as well as marketing in positions ranging from senior to mid to junior level. 

     

    There are a total of 67 vacant posts of post production professionals, visual graphics designer, record keeper, senior videographer, junior videographer, senior production executive, production executive, senior creative editor, creative editor, senior presenter, presenter, copy editor–cum-writer, programme trainees, head- sales & marketing, and senior sales & marketing executive.

     

    Other steps being taken by Prasar Bharati for this channel include: production of in-house and outsourced content; liason with relevant ministries to get inputs for channel content and for which advertisements will be issued; calculation of budget and expenditure for the channel; crowd sourcing for channel name, logo, jingles etc; issue of advertisement for channel packaging and branding along with look and feel and montage.

     

    A consultation meeting has been held with various educational institutes for a rich content and to create a ‘Resource Persons Group’ and this would be a continuous process.

     

    Meanwhile, the Krishi Darshan programmes of Doordarshan are being telecast under the “Mass Media Support to Agriculture Extension” funded by the Agriculture Ministry focusing on dissemination of modern agricultural techniques by involving experts from various fields like insurance, banking, credit for farmers, State Government schemes on agriculture/ fisheries/veterinary science/water and soil conservation/social forestry etc.

     

    In addition, a programme Mera Gaon Connection telecast at prime time on DD National also introduces modern agricultural techniques to the viewers.  

     

    The mass media support to agricultural extension and focused publicity campaigns has been strengthened to reach out to all farmers including small and marginal. 

  • Major initiatives of the I&B Ministry in 2014

    Major initiatives of the I&B Ministry in 2014

    The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has undertaken key initiatives in the different sectors aimed at enhancing the outreach of policies and programmes across platforms. Some of the initiatives undertaken have been innovative, involving people’s participation, enhancing government’s presence on the social media platforms and strengthening communication at the grassroots. Some of the key initiatives are as under:

     

    Initiatives under Swachh Bharat Mission

    As part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ministry initiated a 360 degree multimedia campaign to enhance the outreach and impact of the Mission. All media units were involved in outlining audience specific content, tools and action plan. Intensive discussions were held with key stakeholders of the mission and innovative strategies were incorporated across media platforms for greater visibility and impact. Some of the key initiatives undertaken by the Ministry are as follows:
     

    Three Day Rashtriya Bal Film Mela on the theme “Swachhta”

    Organized by the Children’s Film Society of India (CSFI) on the occasion of National Children’s Day celebrations, the three day festival provided an opportunity for children to appreciate high-quality film content, experience value-based entertainment, and to trigger their imagination about environment conservation and cleanliness. The festival showcased a bunch of internationally acclaimed children’s films on the theme of cleanliness.

    The Festival featured interactive workshops on film-making, film appreciation, animation, Charlie Chaplin’s Mimes and storytelling. Live dance performances, magic act, sand act, and puppetry along with various competitions such as painting on the theme, ‘Swachhta’, and digital collage on the theme ‘Clean India’ and the craft of making utility items from waste materials, were being organized on the sidelines of the festival.

     

    1. Creation of Audio-Visual Spots on Swachh Bharat Mission.
    2. Animation / short video competition (less than three minute duration) organized on the digital volunteer platform of the Ministry with 15 October as deadline.
    3. Launch of Photo-Competition depicting “before and after pictures of cleanliness” on the digital volunteer platform with 15 October as deadline.
    4. Creation of an animation film by New Media Wing
    5. Crowd sourcing for the design of print advertisements
    6. Developing platform specific content on social media
    7. Creation of banners, logos and e-mailers for spreading of the message through social media
    8. Jingles on All India Radio
    9. Community Radio Mobilization to effectively reach the grass root communities
    10. Advisory to private TV & FM channels to become part of the campaign so as to enhance impact and outreach of the mission
    11. Anchor based and in-house serials on DD & AIR
    12. News bulletins through special success stories on DD & AIR
    13. Interactive programmes on DD & AIR
    14. Public Information Campaigns to focus on the core issues of the mission.
    15. Interpersonal communication strategies through field units of the Ministry.

     

    Launch of the DAVP Calendar, “Clean India, Green India”: The year 2015 calendar has been developed on the theme of “Clean India Green India” with focus on “Swachhta” and environment issues. The January page of the Calendar displayed the launch of the “Swachh Bharat Mission by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. While the February page carried the message of ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’ and ‘Bal Swachhta Abhiyan’, the March page was designed on the theme, ‘Rejuvenating Rivers.’ The April Page of the Calendar portrayed “Clean Hospitals: A Healthy India,” May depicted the cleanliness drive of Railways, June focused on Rejuvenation of the River Ganges, ‘Namami Gange’, and July on people’s participation in Swachh Bharat Movement. The August page was on the theme of Clean Villages; the month of September highlighted Solar Energy as clean and renewable source of energy; October depicted Wind Power as pollution free source of energy and November emphasized the need to preserve Himalayan Ranges. Wildlife conservation was the theme for December.

     

    For the first time ever, a mobile app of the calendar has been developed. The mobile App would provide access to the latest tweets from the PMO, the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the press releases on the PIB website. In addition to being a window for all websites of Government of India, this informative application would serve as a planner to the users bringing news updates from AIR and DD News. The mobile app was developed for Android platforms initially, which would be made available on other mobile platforms also in due course of time.

     

     

    Organising Press Conferences to highlight achievements and initiatives of the Government:The strategy adopted has been extremely successful in positioning the visibility of Government’s initiatives across media platforms.

     

    Multimedia Exhibition on Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee:The Ministry of I&B has mounted a multimedia exhibition under the aegis of DAVP on the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The exhibition would serve as an inspiration and learning to the people in understanding the life and contributions of Shri Vajpayee as a politician, statesman, and poet. The exhibition was inaugurated by Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs, and Information & Broadcasting Shri Arun Jaitley on 20 December, 2014.

     

    The exhibition portrays the life of Shri Vajpayee, through a display of around 250 photographs, which reflect his vibrant personality. These rare pictures not only take the visitors through the political journey of this visionary leader, but also provide a glimpse into the diverse phases of his life – as a poet and a great thinker. At this event, different facets of his life will be showcased through photo and electronic exhibition. Scrollers, translites, LED walls, large fascia and title boards are the major attractions of the exhibition. The exhibition was open to public from 20 – 25 December, 2014.

     

    Establishment of Social Media Presence of Government of India: In order to facilitate Ministries/Departments in registering their presence on social media by utilizing the services of the Communications Hub established by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the ministry organized a half day training workshop on 11 July, 2014 at the National Media Centre. The response was very encouraging as about 150 officers representing 59 Ministries/Departments attended the workshop. An interactive Q&A session was also held before concluding the workshop and induction material including a handbook on social media was also distributed to all the participants.

     

    Third and fourth phase of digitization: A Task Force has been constituted with the approval of MIB to steer the remaining two phases i.e., Phase III and Phase IV of digitization in India. The Task Force is headed by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry and comprises stakeholders from various ministries, departments and industry representatives. The constitution of the Task Force paves the way for implementation of digitization initiative in India, which will see digitization of about 8 crores cable TV homes in India. This will bring India in the league of developed nations. It is also a step towards the Prime Minister’s dream of a Digital India, as digitization will enable quick penetration of broadband connectivity in India.

     

    Government of India vide Notification dated 11 September, 2014 has revised the timeframe for digitization for Phase-III and IV of the Cable TV. As per revised guidelines, Phase-III and IV of Cable TV would be completed by December 2015 and December 2016 respectively.

     

    Third phase of FM radio auction: The Cabinet Note on third phase of FM has been moved for cabinet approval. This decision of the Ministry of I&B will pave the way for e-auction of FM Phase-III channels.

     

    Goa declared the permanent destination for International Films Festival of India: In order to develop the “Brand IFFI” on the lines of other international film festivals, Goa has been declared as the permanent destination for International Films Festival of India (IFFI). The IFFI platform propagated the theme “Green India, Clean India” at all the major events organized under its banner.

     

    North East Film Festival: For the first time, a three-day North East Film Festival was held in Delhi (Siri Fort Complex) on a grand scale. It will henceforth be an annual feature, a prominent event in the film festival calendar of the Directorate of Film Festivals. The Festival concluded on 24 August, 2014.

     

    FTII, SRFTII to be institutes of national importance: In order to provide statutory backing through an act of Parliament to declare both the institutes as Institutes of National Importance the government has proposed a Bill. The proposed Bill would enable both the institutes to award its own degrees and diplomas and start new activities on the lines of IITs and IIMs. Cabinet Note has been moved.

     

    Meeting with stakeholders related to Set-Top-Boxes to promote indigenization of digitization: Efforts were taken to fulfill the long pending demand of domestic manufacturers of Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) to get tax concession (C Form benefit) in order to compete with imported STBs. A letter was written by Hon’ble MIB to Hon’ble Finance Minister to resolve the issue of C-Form concession to domestic manufacturers. This was followed by a meeting by Hon’ble MIB with senior officials from Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecom, Bureau of Indian Standards etc., and other industry stakeholders like indigenous STB manufacturers, DTH Association and MSO Associations etc. As a result of continuous follow up, Department of Telecom has confirmed Set Top Box as “Telecom Network Equipment”. The proposal has also been approved by the Ministry of Finance and a letter has already been issued to all the State Governments, Commissioners of Taxes and other concerned that STB will get the facility of ‘Form C’.

     

    e-initiatives: The Office of Registrar of Newspapers for India, M/o I&B has streamlined its Single Window Public dealing mechanism at its office. The RNI has achieved 100% success in online e-filing of Annual statements by publishers for 2013-14. The software module has been finalized for online filing of title verification application. It has also started sending automatic SMS intimation about status of title and registration application to publishers.

     

    Boost to Community Radio movement in the Country:Hon’ble MIB has been given a lot of emphasis on reaching out to the people especially in rural and marginalized areas with effective development communication. Community Radios are one of the best tools to touch the lives of millions of people as it is the platform, which provides an opportunity to community to not only receive messages from Government but also provide its feedback, which ensures two-way communication. An announcement has been made by Hon’ble Finance Minister in his budget speech allocating an amount of Rs 100 crores for “Supporting Community Radio Movement in India.” This would enable setting up of 600 community radio stations across the country in the 12th Five Year Plan. The resources would also be utilized for enhancing awareness, building capacities of community radio operators and promoting innovations in the sector. Funds would also be provided to various CR operators as a matching grant for setting up /upgrading community radio stations. At present 170 community radios are operating in various parts of India and about 200 are in the pipeline. This major initiative of the new government will strengthen the connect with the population living in rural and marginalized areas.

     

    A monitoring mechanism is also being set up to monitor community radio stations live at Electronic Media Monitoring Centre.

     

     

    Simplification of Procedures for granting Television licenses for starting additional television channels: Ministry of I&B grants permission to private television channels in India. At present about 800 TV channels have already been permitted by the Ministry of I&B. India has a huge broadcasting industry, thanks to the large number of television channels providing news and entertainment in various languages both at the national and regional level. Many companies desirous of starting new television channels have been approaching the Ministry to simplify procedures for launch of additional television channels. The issue of grant of additional television channels had become complicated as previously it was decided that for starting every additional TV channel security clearance would be required even for the same company and same set of Directors, who had been security cleared earlier, within the period of validity of such security clearance.

     

    Proposal cleared for Rs 600 crore National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) to preserve India’s film legacy: The revised EFC proposal for a Rs 600 crore National Film Heritage Mission project to preserve India’s filmic legacy was cleared by the Expenditure Finance Committee in the Ministry of Finance on 3 July, 2014. The modalities are being worked out to launch it at the earliest.

     

    Peoples’ participation in Government Advertising through Crowd-Sourcing of Advertisements: The advertisement for the important events being designed on the crowd-sourcing model. Independence Day advertisement designed on these lines and DAVP has invited suggestions for the proposed advertisement to be brought out on 5 September to observe “Teachers Day”.

     

    Adopting 360 degree approach to information dissemination: Designing integrated campaigns based on the 360 degree approach, the core theme touching all tools including the contemporary as well as new media. For Independence Day, the advertisements were crowd-sourced for the first time and coverage was extended to all media platforms.

     

    Transparency Steps have also been taken by the Ministry to enhance transparency and expedite approvals for which Open House Meetings have been started for Community Radio applicants on the first of every month. For Multi System Operators (MSOs), Open House meetings are held every week on Tuesday. For television applicants, Open House meetings are held every fortnight i.e., on 5th and 20th of every month. This provides an opportunity to applicants to have a direct interaction with the Ministry officials and clarify their doubts as well as to get the status of their pending applications. This has enhanced transparency and accountability in the grant of various permissions to applicants of Community Radios, television channels, MSO permissions etc.

     

    Screening of rare archival footage: A half an hour film, “Road To Freedom,” was produced by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, based solely on rare archival footage. It was screened on DD (National) on 15 August, 2014. More such films will be produced and screened on days like 2nd October, 26th January and such like.

     

    Organisation of One Day Workshop on ‘Crisis Communication’:  In pursuance of the decision taken in Committee of Secretaries (CoS) meeting held on 1 July 2014 to consider measures to upgrade the efficacy of control and response system of Government in crisis situation, Ministry of Information organized a one day training session for senior officers of various Ministries/ Departments on ‘Communicating with Media’ through Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on 22 September, 2014 at National Media Centre.

     

    (These are purely personal views of I&B Ministry secretary Bimal Julka and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • I&B Ministry denies interference in CBFC as Leela Samson quits over movie

    I&B Ministry denies interference in CBFC as Leela Samson quits over movie

    NEW DELHI: Following the controversy over the clearance to the film Messenger of God, made by and starring Dera Saccha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Leela Samson has put in her papers.

     

    Asked if she was aware of media reports that the nod has been given by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) to the film’s screening, Samson said, “I hear so. Yet, it is a mockery of CBFC. My resignation is final. I have informed Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) secretary Bimal Julka.”

     

    The Censor Board had referred the issue of clearance to Messenger of God to FCAT. The film was slated to hit the screens on Friday.

     

    Asked why she has decided to quit, she did not specifically refer to the reported clearance to the film but said the reasons cited are alleged “interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation who are appointed by the ministry.”

     

    Refuting allegations of interference, coercion and corruption levelled by Censor Board chairperson Samson, the government today said that it has always maintained a distance from the entire process of film certification.

     

    With Samson deciding to resign amid a row over controversial film Messenger of God, Minister of State (MoS) for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “We have respected the Censor Board all along. In fact when the issue of the previous film came up, we respected the decision of the Censor Board. We kept a hands away distance from its decisions.”

     

    He also said that if evidence was provided that any particular member had been coerced, the government would take appropriate action.

     

    Dismissing Samson’s allegations, Rathore said due process was being followed in all cases including  the case of Messenger of God.

     

    “Now when this particular film has come into discussion, the Censor Board would realise that the final call lies with the FCAT, the film appellate tribunal,” Rathore said.

     

    Asked whether the Ministry had received Samson’s resignation, “No, we are not aware. We heard this on TV, and we are briefing you so that the public is not misled.”

     

    He said very eminent persons constitute the appellate tribunal and emphasised that the government does not interfere in the entire process of film certification.

     

    “There is a retired justice heading the tribunal. There is a Supreme Court advocate in the appellate tribunal. There is a senior journalist in the tribunal, they take decision, whatsoever, which will be made public very soon,” he said.

     

    The Minister also emphasised that the present Board and its members were placed by the previous government and current regime had not put in any additional member.

     

    Meanwhile, Samson told the media, “Having to manage an organisation whose Board has not met for over nine months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting of members.” She said the term of all the members and the Chairperson of the Censor Board “are over but since the new government failed to appoint a new Board and Chairperson, a few were given extension and asked to carry on till the procedure was completed.”

     

    “However, recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the ministry, through an ‘additional charge’ CEO, and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members of this Board of CBFC and Chairperson stood for,” Samson alleged.

     

    Meanwhile, a spokesman for Sirsa (Haryana)-based Dera Sachcha Sauda said, “As per our information, FCAT has cleared the movie for release. But a written order is awaited.”

     

    Her resignation led to comments from the film industry, where veteran Mahesh Bhatt observed, “I don’t know whether the corruption charges are true… but I’d like to make an appeal to I&B minister Arun Jaitley – when he follows a system of liberal values and freedom of speech, his ministry should also be reflective of that.”

     

    Award-winning filmmaker Onir said, “I hope her resignation brings about a positive change. She has a lot of respect in the industry and her resignation explains the hypocritical approach that the Censor Board has. It does come as a shock, but I hope filmmakers are not harassed anymore.”

     

    Mary Kom director Umang Kumar said, “If Samson took a stand, there must be a reason. After all, she was put in that position because she was considered capable of using her discretion wisely.”

     

  • Vajpayee multi-media exhibit opens in Delhi

    Vajpayee multi-media exhibit opens in Delhi

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has said the Multimedia Exhibition mounted by DAVP on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would serve as an inspiration and learning to the people in understanding Vajpayee as a politician, statesman, and poet.

                                         

    Jaitley stated this while inaugurating the Multimedia Exhibition being organised on the occasion of the 90th birthday of former Prime Minister at IGNCA complex.

    The exhibition will portray the life of Vajpayee through a display of around 250 photographs which reflects his vibrant personality. These rare pictures not only take the visitors through the political journey of this visionary leader, but also provide a glimpse into the diverse phases of his life – as a poet and a great thinker. At this event, different facets of Vajpayee’s life will be showcased through photo and electronic exhibition. Scrollers, Translites, LED walls, Large Fascia and Title Boards will be the major attractions of the exhibition.

    Apart from this, a drawing and quiz competition will also be organised on the occasion.

     

    The Films Division of the Ministry will screen three films based on the life of the former Prime Minister. The Photo Division has provided the photos being mounted at the Exhibition. The Song and Drama Division of the Ministry will be giving cultural performances during the Exhibition. The Publication Division has organised a Book Exhibition at the venue.

     

    Doordarshan has provided short films to highlight the achievements of the former Prime Minister. Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting R S Rathore, Secretary Bimal Julka, and other senior officials of the Ministry were also present on the occasion.

    The exhibition will be open to public from 20 December to 25 December daily from 11am to 6pm.

  • Jaitley launches mobile app of the GoI calendar 2015 for the first time

    Jaitley launches mobile app of the GoI calendar 2015 for the first time

    MUMBAI: Two of the biggest initiatives taken by the new government since it took charge in June this year have been – Swachch Bharat and Digital India.

    And taking the philosophy forward in the coming years will be the new calendar launched by the government. The calendar was unveiled by Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley.

    The calendar combines the conventional and technological modes of communicating the initiatives of the government. While the theme of ‘Swachh Bharat’ is portrayed visually in the conventional mode, the mobile application of the calendar reiterates the government’s vision of taking the idea of ‘Digital India’ forward.

    Jaitley said, “The digital version of the calendar 2015 reflects the vision of the government in taking forward the benefit of technology in information dissemination as no one could defy the growth and movement of technology. Technology today was operating on a real time basis.”

    The Minister also lauded the efforts of Directorate of Advertisement and Visual Publicity, DAVP, for developing the digital version of the calendar with socially relevant messages which would be accessible on real time basis through mobile phones.

    The mobile app of the calendar provides access to the latest tweets from the PMO, the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the news/updates on PIB website. In addition to being a window for all websites of government of India, this informative application would serve as a planner to the users bringing news updates from AIR and DD News. The app was developed for android platforms initially which would be made available on other mobile platforms also in due course of time.

    The calendar has been developed on the theme of “Clean India Green India” with focus on “Swachhta” and environment issues. For instance, the January page of the calendar displays the launch of the “Swachh Bharat Mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore, and Ministry of I&B secretary  Bimal Julka along with senior officials of the I&B Ministry were also present at the unveiling.

     

  • MSOs not ordering STBs, say manufacturers

    MSOs not ordering STBs, say manufacturers

    MUMBAI: The former Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar had emphasised the need for bringing in indigenous Set Top Boxes (STBs) and the new administration is also keen to do the same. It was with this in mind that I&B secretary Bimal Julka held a meeting with indigenous STB manufacturers recently.

    Julka said that the issue of C-Form had already been addressed by the government to ensure level playing field for the domestic manufacturers as compared to imported STBs. The meeting was to assess the readiness of the manufacturers to meet the 11 million STB requirements since they had stated that sufficient capacity had been installed.

    A meeting had also been held with the Prime Minister regarding availability of conditional access system (CAS). The issue of interoperability of STBs was also being scrutinised and a task force meeting on the same had also been held.

    The STB manufacturers informed that they have been in touch with operators for their requirements but their response has not been encouraging. According to them the operators are anticipating change in timeline of digitisation and a change in policy, leading to their slow uptake.

    The manufacturers stated that they are prepared to go head on with the imported boxes as well as have a penal clause on penalty. Since no order was coming from operators, it was a difficult task to prepare production since time was needed to receive the components from suppliers.

    Therefore, they manufacturers have requested the Ministry to facilitate a process so that MSOs look at indigenous STBs for phases III and IV of digitisation. A joint meeting between the three could be held to resolve concerns.

    Julka clarified that 2015 and 2016 are the final dates for digitisation, so there needs to be no apprehension on that front. Monitoring of the digitisation programme would be scaled up in accordance with the implementation strategy being set in the Ministry.

     

  • “Indian cinema offers vision to young minds to learn and nurture talent”: Arun Jaitley

    “Indian cinema offers vision to young minds to learn and nurture talent”: Arun Jaitley

    MUMBAI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has said that the Indian film industry has come of age in view of the diversity it offers with regards to the number of films produced in different languages and themes.

     

    “Cinema today acts as the alternate religion as it entertains, educates, gives a social perspective to issues, offers young growing minds the vision to learn and nurtures talent,” said Jaitley while delivering his address at the inaugural ceremony of the 45th edition of International Film Festival of India which began in Goa on 20 November.

     

    Elaborating further, Jaitley said cinema as a medium in the country has matured. “There is corporatisation of the industry, making it more professional and vibrant,” he said.

     

    The Minister reiterated the efforts being made by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to mainstream the National Film Heritage Mission as a policy initiative. “This will ensure the preservation of the record of Indian cinema digitally,” he added highlighting the importance of Goa being made the permanent venue of the International Film Festival of India in the context of its hospitality, growth, natural beauty and cultural diversity.

     

    Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was also present on the occasion, said that all efforts would be made to host the next edition of IFFI at the permanent venue.

     

    Also speaking on the occasion, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said that IFFI aims to nurture, encourage and inspire Indian cinema and introduce it to the world outside as well as many audiences within the country.

     

    Each edition of IFFI facilitates new strategies thereby ensuring enriched, enhanced and enlarged viewing experience. The vision of IFFI was to provide a common platform to project the excellence of the film art. With China being the focus country, Julka said that a special package on contemporary Chinese cinema had been created at the festival.

     

    In his address, the Chief Guest for the function,  Amitabh Bachchan traced the evolution of Indian cinema through its various facets touching upon the iconic films in different periods and the dominant themes. Bachchan also highlighted the role and relevance of Indian cinema in the context of India’s diversity and plurality.

     

    Jaitley along with Bachchan conferred the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year on Rajnikanth for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema. The prestigious award consists of cash prize of Rs 10,00000, certificate and the Silver Peacock Medal. The award was instituted last year to commemorate 100 years of Indian Cinema.

     

    The International Jury for the Festival was also introduced at the inaugural ceremony. Jaitley felicitated the Jury Members including the chairman SlawomirIdziak, noted film maker from Poland, eminent Chinese film director, Zhang Jianya, renowned Swiss film maker and head of International Locarno Film Festival Nadia Dresti, noted American film critic, Marie Brenner, and renowned Indian actress Seema Biswas.

     

    The inaugural function also witnessed the screening of ‘Swacch Bharat’ promotion film and the signature film of the festival. The Signature Film was directed by Shaji N Karun, one of the renowned film makers of India. The President directed by eminent Iranian film maker, Mohsen  Makhmalbaf was the opening film of the festival.

     

    The 11 day festival would screen 178 films from 79 countries across different categories which includes world cinema (61 films), master-strokes (11 films), festival kaleidoscope (20 films), soul of Asia (7 films), documentaries (6 films) and animated films (6 films). Besides, Indian panorama section would include 26 feature and 15 non-feature films. North-east being the focus region of the festival, IFFI 2014 would be showcasing seven films from North eastern part of India. Regional cinema would also be an integral part of the festival. Retrospective sections on Gulzar and Jahnu Baruah, special homage films on Richard Attenborough, Robin Williams, Zohra Sehgal, Suchitra Sen and special tribute to Farooq Sheikh would be other attractions this year. A special section of films that focus on dance, personality based retrospectives and master classes/workshops would also form a part of IFFI 2014.

     

    The open air screening of Indian films for the general public free of cost on first come first basis would be a new attraction in IFFI 2014. Besides the world premieres, IFFI 2014 offered a repertoire of activities, such as the film bazar, 3D film shows, dinners, master classes, panel discussions, stalls and open-air screenings for the delegates.