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Tag: I&B minister

  • I&B Minister asks broadcasters to make shows accessible to the hearing-impaired

    I&B Minister asks broadcasters to make shows accessible to the hearing-impaired

    MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced the implementation of accessibility standard for TV programmes for persons with hearing impairment from 16 September 2019.

    I&B minister Prakash Javadekar announced that all news channels will carry a news bulletin with sign language interpretation at least once per day and all TV channels and service providers will run at least one programme per week with subtitles / captioning.

    The overall implementation of the standards will be done in a phase-wise manner in the next five years. The government will review the policy after two years.

    The announcement was made in order to enhance the accessibility of television programmes for the hearing impaired which will be done through the provision of captioning and Indian Sign Language.

    Live news, live and deferred live content/events such as sports, live music shows, award shows, live reality shows, live debates, scripted/ unscripted reality shows, etc. and advertisements/ teleshopping content have been exempted.

    Javadekar also announced that accessibility standards for films for visually impaired through provision of narration facility in between dialogues are also under examination.

  • Former I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi passes away

    Former I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi passes away

    NEW DELHI: Former Information and Broadcasting (I&B) minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who took several unpopular decisions during his tenure, died after being in a coma since 2008. He was 72.

    He had suffered a massive stroke in 2008 leaving him paralysed and unable to speak and lapsed into a coma during treatment. He had been critically ill over the past month, according to the Apollo hospital, and died at 12.10 pm on 20 November.

    As I&B minister during the first term of the Manmohan Singh-led government from 2004-2008, Dasmunsi was instrumental in passing a law in 2007 which resulted in all broadcasters holding rights to sporting events having to forcibly share signals with Prasar Bharati. His term also saw several bans on western television networks, including a three-month ban on the Sony-owned television network AXN and Fashion TV following the broadcast of programs deemed “obscene” by him.

    In 2006, Dasmunsi was the first Indian to be a match commissioner in a FIFA World Cup game between Australia and Croatia. He was heading the Indian football governing body at the time of his stroke in 2008, which led to Praful Patel taking over as president. Dasmunsi served as the president of the All India Football Federation for almost 20 years.

  • Smriti Irani gets additional charge as MIB minister

    NEW DELHI: Actor-turned politician Smriti Zubin Irani has been given the additional charge of the information and broadcasting ministry following the resignation of M Venkaiah Naidu who has been nominated for the post of the country’s vice-president.

    Irani will hold this charge in addition to her main ministry, textiles. Welcoming her after the announcement was made by the prime minister Narendra Modi, minister of state Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted: “Delighted to welcome the sharp, erudite smt. @smritiirani to @mib_india. Looking fwd to working with her in the ministry.”

    Nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, Irani had first joined Modi’s  cabinet as Human Resource Development Minister but had been shifted to Textiles in a cabinet reshuffle.

    Irani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003. She became the vice-president of the Maharashtra Youth Wing in 2004.In the 2004 general elections for the 14th Lok Sabha, she contested unsuccessfully against Kapil Sibal from the Chandni Chowk constituency in Delhi. She was nominated as executive member of the central committee of the BJP. In early 2010, Irani was appointed National Secretary of BJP and on 24 June, she was appointed All India President of the BJP’s women’s wing, BJP Mahila Morcha.

    Irani contested the 2014 general elections against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi and lost. On 26 May 2014, Modi appointed her as the minister of human resource development in his cabinet. Her appointment was criticised by many people owing to her lack of formal higher education.

    Irani was born in Delhi to a Bengali mother and a Punjabi father, Ajay Kumar Malhotra. She is the eldest of three sisters. She has been a part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from childhood as her grandfather was an RSS swayamsevak and her mother a member of Jana Sangh.

    Irani was one of the finalists of the beauty pageant Miss India 1998, along with Gauri Pradhan Tejwani. In 1998, Irani appeared in a song “Boliyan” of the album “Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag” with Mika Singh. 

    In 2008, Irani along with Sakshi Tanwar hosted the show Yeh Hai Jalwa, a dance based reality show featuring celebrities along with their troops on 9X. In the same year she also produced another show on Zee TV, Waaris which ended in 2009. In 2009, she appeared in a comedy show Maniben.com, aired on SAB TV. She also co-produced the show in collaboration with Contiloe Entertainment. In 2012, she worked in Bengali movie Amrita.

    Also Read :

    Venkaiah Naidu is NDA nominee for India’s vice-president

  • Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar officially seeks early retirement

    Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar officially seeks early retirement

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar has been known to not pull any punches. Last month, he had expressed his desire to resign from his post to the media as he was not getting anywhere with the organisaton and neither was Prasar Bharati. Now, he has written to the ministry of information & broadcasting secretary (MIB) Ajay Mittal stating that he would like to resign prematurely from 4 November, says a PTI report.

    He has also written to I&B minister Venkaiah Naidu, expressing his desire to resign from his position post-Diwali – that is after 30 October. The report goes on to state that he would like to relocate to Kolkata.

    Sircar was yanked out of his position as secretary, culture, and installed as the Prasar Bharati CEO by an eminent panel led by the then Indian vice-president and a Supreme Court judge during the UPA government’s tenure in 2012. He serves as the vice-president of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, which is a club of broadcasters from 67 countries. He has also had two short stints MIB secretary during his career.

  • Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar officially seeks early retirement

    Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar officially seeks early retirement

    MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar has been known to not pull any punches. Last month, he had expressed his desire to resign from his post to the media as he was not getting anywhere with the organisaton and neither was Prasar Bharati. Now, he has written to the ministry of information & broadcasting secretary (MIB) Ajay Mittal stating that he would like to resign prematurely from 4 November, says a PTI report.

    He has also written to I&B minister Venkaiah Naidu, expressing his desire to resign from his position post-Diwali – that is after 30 October. The report goes on to state that he would like to relocate to Kolkata.

    Sircar was yanked out of his position as secretary, culture, and installed as the Prasar Bharati CEO by an eminent panel led by the then Indian vice-president and a Supreme Court judge during the UPA government’s tenure in 2012. He serves as the vice-president of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, which is a club of broadcasters from 67 countries. He has also had two short stints MIB secretary during his career.

  • DD spends 29% of annual expenditure on terrestrial distribution

    DD spends 29% of annual expenditure on terrestrial distribution

    NEW DELHI: Around 29 per cent of the total expenditure of Doordarshan is spent on terrestrial distribution annually, the Parliament was told today.

     

    However, Prasar Bharati says that the viewership data received at present still does not show the terrestrial viewership for rural viewers separately, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

     

    In January 2003, Doordarshan had set up four digital transmitters, one each at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai on an experimental basis using Digital Video Broadcasting Transmission (DVB-T) System to gain experience in digital transmission technology.

     

    As part of the 11th Plan Scheme, four High Definition TV (HDTV) digital High Power Transmitters (HPTs) have been installed at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai and are ready for commissioning.

     

    A total of 63 digital HPTs (40 in 11th Plan and 23 in 12th Plan) have also been approved as part of digitisation schemes. Out of 63 digital HPTs, 16 digital HPTs are ready for commissioning and another three digital HPTs are at advanced stage of completion. Action has been initiated for setting up of remaining 44 digital HPTs.

     

    Replying to a separate question, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley said against funds amounting to Rs 155 crore allocated in 2014-15 by the Prasar Bharati from the funds given by the Government for modernization schemes, Prasar Bharati had reported an expenditure of Rs 153.37 crore.

     

    He added that against funds amounting to Rs 237 crore allocated in 2015-16 to the pubcaster, an expenditure of Rs 41.46 crore had been incurred till October 2015.

     

    The Expert Committee for Prasar Bharati had recommended digitisation of Terrestrial TV operations based on commercial viability.

     

    However, Rathore said there is no time-line at present for Analogue Terrestrial TV switch off.

     

    The switch-off is currently happening only in the digital addressable systems (DAS), with the third phase being completed by this month end and the final phase slated for December 2016.

  • IFFI 2015 to feature 200 films from 89 countries; Anil Kapoor to inaugurate

    IFFI 2015 to feature 200 films from 89 countries; Anil Kapoor to inaugurate

    NEW DELHI: Around 32 years after he first featured in a lead role, veteran actor Anil Kapoor will inaugurate the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) this month in Goa, which will feature a total of 187 films from 89 countries in the international section.

     

    In addition, the Indian Panorama will have 26 feature and 21 non-features in the Festival, which will open at Panaji on 20 November with the film The Man who knew Infinity by Mathew Brown. The film is a true story about the friendship between Indian mathematician Ramanujan and Professor GH Hardy that forever changed the world of mathematics.

     

    The Festival organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in association with the Goa Government will conclude on 30 November. It will have special classes in filmmaking in collaboration with the American Academy, which awards the Oscars.

     

    Noting that IFFI had become a global brand in the world of cinema, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley said that Spain is the focus country this year and the special focus within the country was on cinema from the north eastern states.

     

    The competition section will have 15 films including two from India and will be judged by a jury headed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. The other members will include Michael Radford, Julia Jentsch, Suha Arraf and Jeon Kyu-Hwan.

     

    The Panorama films were selected by a 13-member Feature jury headed by filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma and a seven-member non-feature jury headed by Rajendra Janglay.

     

    Apart from Jaitley, those present at the press meet were Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, I&B Secretary Sunil Arora, Festival Director Senthil Rajan, and Special Secretary J S Mathur. Jaitley also released the poster for the 46th Festival at the press conference.

     

    Jaitley agreed to consider a suggestion that the opening of IFFI should not clash with the International Children Film Festival of India in Hyderabad, which is held every second year. However, he said this could not be done this year.

     

    Jaitley said the Festival promoted excellence and provided an opportunity to showcase the best domestic and international talent.

     

    The Spanish package would have the films of master Spanish filmmakers Carlos Saura and Pedro Almadovar along with contemporary filmmakers like Alejandro Amenabar. The section would also feature Spanish actress Leticia Dolera’s directorial debut Requirements to Be a Normal Person.

     

    Jaitley said IFFI this year would feature a special section on ‘World Cinema Restored Classics’ to highlight the idea of film restoration. This would feature a package of classics to put spotlight on National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM). 

     

    The Minister added that the film festival will also introduce a new segment – First Cut – to recognise young talent in the field of cinema and would screen some of the outstanding directorial debuts of 2015. The section would feature emerging filmmakers including Brian Perkins (Golden Kingdom, USA) and Michael Klette (Solness, Germany) among others. The festival in association with the Oscar Academy will also promote skill development in filmmaking through master classes on varied topics like sound designing, film archive and film editing.

     

    Jaitley said IFFI would include a special award – ICFT- UNESCO Fellini Prize – in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO. The award would be presented to a film, which reflects the ideals of peace, tolerance, non-violence and friendship promoted by UNESCO. 

     

    Answering questions, Jaitley said that film festivals all over the world were now linked to a city and therefore there was no plans to shift the festival out of Goa, which had hosted it since 2004.

     

    Arora added that IFFI was the biggest Film Festival in Asia and a leading platform for art and creativity. He said Goa had been the perfect venue for the past 11 years for the film festival.

     

    The focus on the north east at IFFI will include a Special Retrospective on Aribam Syam Sharma along with a unique segment featuring next generation filmmakers from the north east.

     

    Answering questions, Rajan said that there was a film from Pakistan apart from other SAARC countries as well. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Rajan said that while the Film Federation of India (FFI) and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) had decided to boycott the Festival, they had not barred individual filmmakers from taking part. Furthermore, steps were being taken to address their grievances.

     

    IFFI will also be organising a special seminar on Film and Cultural diversity. A special series titled ‘In Conversation’ with eminent Indian filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal and Vettrimaran will also be organised to discuss films and the art of filmmaking with the audience. 

  • I&B minister Arun Jaitley asks media to strike a balance

    I&B minister Arun Jaitley asks media to strike a balance

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today cautioned the media to strike a fine balance between freedom of speech and expression and the reasonable restrictions so as to maintain public order and integrity and sovereignty of India.

     

    He said free speech is an aid to good governance in view of the changes taking place in the media landscape and the scope and content of issues related to Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression.

     

    The overall scenario was also influenced by technological tools that brought about a change in the form, style and method of dissemination. These developments also impacted the definition of news, which today was increasingly being influenced by the camera and channel driven mode.

     

    Jaitley made these remarks while delivering the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture 2015 on: “Is it possible to impose reasonable restriction on Freedom of Speech & Expression given today’s media landscape,” which was organised by All India Radio on behalf of Prasar Bharati.

     

    The Minister referred to the evolution of media and the right to freedom of speech and expression. Citing global examples, Jaitley brought out the finer aspects of the freedom of speech vis-?-vis privacy; need to protect the source of information in public interest and media restraint with regard to matters that were sub-judice. He said that these issues had generated discussions amongst academicians, media fraternity and other concerned stakeholders.

     

    The Minister lauded the judiciary for its role in expanding the scope of Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression over the years. Various judicial pronouncements had underlined the spirit of the idea behind the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under the Constitution and correlated contemporary developments, issues and changes in the media space. 

     

    Judicial pronouncements subsequently in specific cases focused on issues pertaining to the idea of reasonableness related to restrictions under the Article 19 (2) of the Constitution in the interest of sovereignty, security and public order. Nonetheless due to the pluralistic character of the media space, it was important to exercise caution taking into account public order and sensibilities. He said that these restrictions could only be imposed by law and were specific rather than general so as to prevent misuse.

     

    Regarding the media landscape, Jaitley said satellite television had brought about a sea change in the presentation of news. In the current scenario, the recipient of information had the right to information and knowledge which was also being considered part of the debate under Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression.

     

    The dissemination process in the social media space had also impacted the information flow and contributed to the public debate and setting of agendas in the policy framework. Social media had led to the empowerment of citizens by giving them a voice. Decision makers were increasingly using social media to gauge public sentiments on government policies making public reactions, among other things, the new agenda setters for governance.

      

    Jaitley touched upon the global practices being followed in the context of social media restrictions. He referred to the ‘right to be forgotten’ incorporated by the European Court of Human Rights, which empowered the state authority to remove the reference of the aggrieved person from internet citing citizen’s right to privacy. He also spoke about the jurisdictional principles with respect to reasonable restrictions on Freedom of Speech and Expression in the light of changes and issues that had been raised in this context.

     

    These lectures started in 1955 and the first Memorial lecture was delivered by Sri C. Rajagopalachari.  In this series, the speakers in the previous years included Dr. Zakir Hussain, Morarji Desai, and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

  • Ad cap violation by 141 TV channels even as case to come up in September

    Ad cap violation by 141 TV channels even as case to come up in September

    NEW DELHI: Even as the advertising cap case is to come up for further hearing before the Delhi High Court on 8 September, a study shows that a total of 141 television channels comprising 36 news and current affairs channels and 105 non-news channels, continue to telecast more than 12 minutes of advertising and commercials per hour in violation of the set rules.

     

    The study shows that while the highest of these is 22.66 minutes by India TV and the lowest is 12.04 minutes, there are at least 17 news and 19 non-news channels clocking more than 15 minutes per hour. 

     

    While asking the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) not to take any coercive action against any channel pending hearing of the case, the Court had asked all channels and TRAI to keep a record of the advertising time consumed including commercials. 

     

    The petition had been filed by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and some channels challenging the TRAI decision to implement the directive of 12 minutes contained in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and TRAI are the respondents in the petition.

     

    Interestingly, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley had in January this year said that he was not in favour of any ad cap in the print or electronic media.

     

    In the petition, the news channels have taken the plea that they are free to air and therefore do not get any subscription fee from the viewers as the GEC channels do.

     

    TRAI says that the information is based on the data submitted by the broadcasters and TRAI bears no responsibility for the figures given. 

     

    According to information available to TRAI, the rest of the news channels are carrying less than 12 minutes of average duration per hour of advertisements (Commercial & Self promotional) during peak hours (7 – 10 PM) from 30 March to 29 June.

     

    Among the news channels, the lowest is Mathrubhumi News with 12.42 minutes and among the GEC channels, the highest is 18.69 by B4U Movies and the lowest is 12.04 by Jaya Max.

  • Agri graduates hired by AIR, no plans for recruitments for Kisan TV: Jaitley

    Agri graduates hired by AIR, no plans for recruitments for Kisan TV: Jaitley

    NEW DELHI: All India Radio has appointed 26 agricultural graduates as Farm and Home/Farm Radio reporters for its programmes aimed at the farming community.

     

    The Parliament was informed by Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley that these appointees are from the recently concluded recruitment for the post of Transmission Executive. 

     

    Meanwhile, he said Prasar Bharati has ‘no proposal as of now’ to recruit agricultural graduates for Kisan TV channel. 

     

    He said Kisan TV was being run by the in-house staff of Doordarshan and by engagement of casual staff according to the requirement of the channel. 

     

    Experts from the agricultural field are consulted from time to time as required, he added in reply to a question.