ITV

Tag: Manmohan Singh

  • Parliamentary panel for guidelines on sting operations

    Parliamentary panel for guidelines on sting operations

    MUMBAI: A Parliamentary Committee has asked the government to come out with guidelines and norms for sting operations.

    Headed by Congress MP V Kishore Chandra Deo, the seven-member Committee said: “The Union government may initiate steps for laying guidelines and norms for sting operations.”

    In its report on the alleged cash-for-votes scam, the Committee observed that carrying out sting operations in an unregulated manner, which casts aspersions on members of Parliament, erode the credibility of democratic institutions.

    It further added: “The Committee, is, therefore of the opinion that such motivated trial by the media needs to be regulated.

    The Committee said that sting operations are often driven by sensational quotients. It is to increase the TRP ratings of TV channels vis-a-vis their rivals and more often than not for monetary and other considerations.

    “The committee wishes to express concern over the fact that the media has been indulging in a race to achieve viewership through sensationalism on a competitive basis,” the committee said in its report.

    Expressing concern over the fact that the media is indulging in a race to achieve viewership through “sensationalism” in a competitive basis, it recalled that in the cash-for-votes scam one channel had implied that all members are susceptible to corruption.

    The committee was formed after three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs – Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora – stunned the nation by brandishing wads of cash in the Lok Sabha shortly before the Manmohan Singh government was to face the trust vote on 22 J

  • Language media has shown greater resilience than English newspapers: PM

    NEW DELHI: Noting that ‘we are living through a golden era of Indian media’, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said there had been an unprecedented growth both in readership and viewership in India and language newspapers managed to show growth in a scenario of ‘concern all over the world over that the growth of television and internet threatens the survival of print media.’

    However, Singh said that the quantitative growth in Indian media had outpaced qualitative growth. “This is understandable partly because demand has been outstripping the supply of well trained journalists,” he added.

    Inaugurating the 66th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Language Newspapers Association, Singh expressed the hope that greater attention will be paid to the challenge of improving the quality of journalism in our country. He also gave away awards to the regional language/publications for their outstanding contribution in the field of language journalism.

    Singh added: ‘You are the medium through which the message of modernisation, the message of development, the message of national integration and the message of social justice must go to the far corners of our country. You have to promote communal harmony and secular values, which are the bedrock of our nation. You have a vital role to play in the transformation of our society and our polity’.

    He said rising literacy rates, growing political awareness and rising levels of incomes, along with processes of urbanisation, had contributed to the growth in the media. But this growth had also widened the choice available to readers and viewers. Such diversity is always good in a democracy.

    Noting that language newspapers had shown greater resilience in the face of competition from the electronic media as compared to English journalism, he said “the challenge before is to help take India forward by changing the mindsets of the population, since the vast majority of our people see the world through your eyes. Modernisation is not just about better infrastructure, not about mere more creative comforts or the way we dress and live. Modernisation in the final analysis is an attitude of the state of the mind of our people.”

    The media had to play a watchdog role in a democracy and the government benefited enormously from the criticism and the corrective advice of the media. Whenever there are leakages or administrative inadequacy, it is the duty of the media and other civil society agents to highlight these weaknesses. “However, criticism should not promote cynicism or negativism. It should encourage positive change and give hope to our people. I hope our media will continue to play a positive developmental role and strengthen our country and empower our people and strengthen the bonds of communion and community feeling, fellow feeling among various citizens of our great country,” the Prime Minister concluded.

  • CNN IBN announce ‘Indian of the year’ awards

    CNN IBN announce ‘Indian of the year’ awards

    Mumbai: The winners of the ‘CNN IBN Indian of the year’ awards for sports, politics and business were announced by the channel. Golfer Jeev Milkha Singh won in the sports category while Dr. Manmohan Singh and Ratan Tata were winners in the politics and business category respectively.

    The winners in each category were chosen through a public voting process and the Electoral College.

    “I would like to convey my heartiest congratulations to the three winners for being chosen the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in their respective fields. They are truly the most deserving aspirants emerging successful despite tough competition from fellow nominees and a rigorous selection process involving the public and Electoral College. Their various endeavours and achievements have made the nation hold its head high with pride- making them true Indian icons,” says CNN IBN and IBN 7 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

  • I&B MoS Ambareesh quits over Cauvery award

    I&B MoS Ambareesh quits over Cauvery award

    NEW DELHI: Renowned Kannada actor-turned-politician MH Ambareesh has quit as the minister of state for information and broadcasting and also his seat in the Lok Sabha protesting that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal had been ”unfair” to Karnataka in its final verdict.

    Ambareesh announced in Bangalore yesterday that he had sent his resignation both to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee as well as Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, and also sent a copy to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

    However, his resignation was rejected Chatterjee on technical grounds. The Speaker’s office contended that Ambareesh had faxed the resignation, which was not the acceptable method of putting in papers, even as his fans also urged him to withdraw the resignation.

    Ambareesh announced the resignation following pressure by people in his constituency Mandya when he was gheraoed by lawyers when he came to participate in a function in the Karnataka High Court here to release a special cover and cancellation of the Postal department to commemorate the golden jubilee of the High Court.

    Holding that the Tribunal had caused “injustice” to the southern state, he complimented the lawyers for taking up the cause of the state. Congress circles in the state were caught complete unawares by his move.

    Karnataka had been witnessing widespread protests after the 5 February Tribunal award, which directed Karnataka to release 192 tmc ft of water to Tamil Nadu, pegging the state’s requirement at 270 tmc ft as against 419 tmc ft of the lower riparian state.

    The star, who was elected from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency for a third time in 2004, had led a procession of cine artistes against the award in the city yesterday.

    Meanwhile, G Made Gowda, president of the Cauvery Hitarakshana Horata Samiti, which is spearheading the agitation on the water sharing issue, termed the resignation of Ambareesh as a hasty decision and said the star should continue as a minister and fight for the water rights of the state.

  • International products and technology innovations to be unveiled at Wire & Cable India 2006

    International products and technology innovations to be unveiled at Wire & Cable India 2006

    MUMBAI: With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh having assigned priority status to infrastructure, a strong impetus has been provided to construction, power and telecom sectors. This, in turn, is giving a major boost to the wire and cable industries, and the related input technologies, equipment and products.

    All these key aspects of this high growth potential segment will be presented this week at Wire & Cable India 2006, which will be held from November 16 to 18, 2006 at MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex.
    Organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), this flagship event will feature over 120 exhibitors from 20 countries, showcasing the latest products and world-class technology innovations. Around 4000 trade visitors from India and its neighboring countries are expected to attend the three-day event.

    With 50% of the exhibitor profile comprising International players from Germany , Italy, Spain, Japan and China and Korea , Wire & Cable India 2006 will provide a common industry platform for meeting key clients and partners from across the globe in a comprehensive, cost-effective format.

    Wire & Cable India 2006 is exclusively for materials, machinery and accessories for the production of wires & cables, optical fibre cables, fasteners, springs, wire ropes and other wire products. A variety of finished products including wires will also be displayed.

    The exhibitors will unveil the most modern wire manufacturing and finishing machinery, spring manufacturing machinery, cable and stranding machines, process technology tools, process technology materials, lubricants, measuring and controlling technology, process monitoring systems, quality assurance and measuring systems, drive and control technology, “finished product” testing system, all types of wires, cables, wire rods, bright, bars, sheet metal and specialty wires.

    Visitors will primarily be engineers, technicians, buyers, production managers and sales managers from a diverse range of sectors including the wires, cables, automotive supply, electricals, aerospace supply, electrical engineering and electronics, telecommunications, computer manufacturing, chemicals and construction.

  • NDTV 24X7 to air ‘The Two Year Mark’ on 21 May

    NDTV 24X7 to air ‘The Two Year Mark’ on 21 May

    An NDTV special presentation The Two Year Mark airs on Sunday 21 May at 9:30 pm on NDTV 24X7. It takes a close look at the tenure of prime minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

    Prominent Indians from across the country will join Barkha Dutt and Prannoy Roy live in studio to share their thoughts on the PM and his government.

    The special will also announce the results of an NDTV-Mode nationwide poll of 4000 urban and rural voters in 16 states, representing the views of Indians, on the same.

    So is the PM capable of making tough decisions? Or has he been overshadowed by Sonia Gandhi? Will Manmohan Singh’s goverment last its full term? To be a part of this debate, tune into NDTV 24X7 Sunday night at 9:30 pm.

  • FM radio players protest WorldSpace terrestrial foray

    FM radio players protest WorldSpace terrestrial foray

    NEW DELHI: It is not only the television broadcasters that are grappling with the issue of distribution and competition. Private radio broadcasters too have started sampling irritants in this regard.

    The private sector FM radio players has complained against satellite radio provider WorldSpace’s attempt to get certain licences that would help it distribute the services terrestrially also.

    According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, WorldSpace, India’s only satellite radio service, is trying to get a license for L-band terrestrial repeater from the information and broadcasting ministry, which, if obtained, will help it to transmit its services on moving vehicles terrestrially — the primary target audience of FM radio.

    “Repeaters are basically targeted at subscribers-on-move like in a car, etc. A satellite radio cannot enter into terrestrial segment by any means,” a letter to the government from the Association of radio Operators in India (AROI) states.

    Raising the emotional quotient, AROI seems to be appealing to the conscience of the government by saying, “We fail to understand why the Government of India is working on the WorldSpace application even when a proper guideline on satellite radio in India is still not available.”

    The letter goes on to add that considering FM radio in India is in a nascent stage and the FM radio broadcasters have paid “an exorbitant OTEF (one-time entry fee)”. the government should “protect FM radio industry for at least next 10 years.”

    “Before even waiting for the commissioning of the new stations, the ministry is already making plans to welcome new players into the terrestrial radio arena, directly threatening the existence of the FM Radio licensees. This is not acceptable at all,” the high-pitched AROI letter states.

    The AROI letter has been marked to prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, defence minister Pranab Mukharjee, home minister Shivraj Patil and telecommunication minister Dayanidhi Maran and I&B ministry secretary SK Arora.

    The move of AROI comes at a time when the government is working on putting in place a policy for satellite radio services, including caps on foreign investments, which would force the likes of WordSpace to restructure themselves and find majority Indian partners.

    The AROI letter is also likely to put pressure on the government to bring about stringent regulations relating to satellite radio services. The Sector regulator has already submitted a set of recommendations to the I&B ministry.

  • Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    The Indian government (read the information and broadcasting ministry) is suddenly finding itself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, which more often than not takes great pleasure in turning red.

     

    Sandwiched between a strident judiciary — justifiably so in the present circumstances — and the politics of running a coalition government with vocal allies (who seem to have a view on anything and everything), the Manmohan Singh regime is bound to find it difficult to implement a recent Delhi High Court order that in short says: implement conditional access system in the areas notified earlier by a previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition regime over 18 months ago.

     

    The I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders
    _____****_____

    State-level elections in April-May would compel the government to give a deep thought to the so-called concerns of regional politicians. And, decision-making gets that much tougher when one of the states going to the polls, West Bengal, is ruled by a Left party, which is also a crucial ally of the federal government in New Delhi.

     

    Though the Delhi High Court order exhorts the I&B ministry to rise above regional level party politics and not use ‘public interest’ to influence an executive order (the notification related to CAS rollout) passed by the federal government, reticent politicians would definitely try to have their own way. Don’t forget that the I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi’s parliamentary constituency lies in West Bengal and the street-smart politician has cut much of his political teeth in Bengal.

     

    With Kolkata in West Bengal, one of the metros targeted for CAS rollout, already swinging to the election tune, the I&B ministry would have to see how New Delhi’s Left-oriented allies react to the issue of CAS or ‘watching TV channels via a black box that would cost around Rs 3,000 (approximately $ 67),’ as some politicians are explaining addressability to the people.

     

    It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline
    _____****_____

    Though it hasn’t reached a crescendo, already there are murmurs amongst politicians of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), especially the local ones, on how CAS’ introduction around election time can be ‘disruptive’ and have telling effects on the electoral fortunes of the party in West Bengal.

     

    It is pertinent to note that the I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders to discuss the issue in the light of the court’s observation.

     

    Apart from the West Bengal politicians, those representing the seven constituencies of Delhi in Parliament have already been petitioned by some cable operators on the ground that implementation of CAS might upset cable TV consumers of the National Capital Territory.

     

    With Delhi’s aam junta (hoi polloi) totally clueless on what CAS is all about — apart from what has been fed to them by politicians and the media — scepticism is bound to run all across on something new, which is not part of the basic infrastructure that is severely lacking here and making daily life that much more worrisome.

     

    And, the Congress-led Delhi government, trying to battle its own intra-party differences on demolition of illegal constructions all over Delhi (as directed by Delhi HC) that has left the denizens of the Capital fuming, the will to immediately implement another court order (on CAS) is definitely lacking.

     

    It would also be interesting to see how New Delhi could read the Delhi court order, which is not as simple as is being made out by many industry stakeholders — the benefits of CAS or addressability, notwithstanding.

     

    For the I&B ministry to plan a rollout of CAS as per the court order, it has to first revoke an executive order that suspended implementation of CAS.

     

    Now, here is the piece de resistance: the court order is silent on the fact whether addressability should be introduced, as per the prayer of the petitioners, ONLY in the south zones of the metro cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai in Maharashtra or the whole of the cities.

     

    After revoking an earlier notification, the federal government can stick to CAS’ introduction only in the south zones of the metros or interpret the court order as rollout in the whole of the cities. A clarification on the interpretation hasn’t been sought yet by the I&B ministry as there is a section that feels an appeal should be made against the present court order.

     

    If the government goes in for an appeal, which can turn out to be time consuming, then the timing of it would also be important. It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline.

     

    As things stand today, the government is keeping things fluid — deliberately so — to weigh all options, including the biggest challenge: political compulsions.