Lok Sabha Question No. 1038 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-08
Subject: Review of Guidelines on Television Rating Agencies
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Goddeti Madhavi, Bhagirath Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1038

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2022)

## REVIEW OF GUIDELINES ON TELEVISION RATING AGENCIES.

1038. SHRIMATI GODDETI MADHAVI:

## SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  commissioned  a  review  of  Guidelines  on Television Rating Agencies in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the major findings and recommendations of the said review;
- (c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to strengthen the process of reliable and transparent rating system;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  received  complaints  against  its  programms  and Over The Top (OTT) platforms and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) and (b): Yes Sir. A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati with members from IIT, C-DOT and IIM, to inter alia, review  the  guidelines  on  Television  Rating  Agencies  in  the  country  and  to  make recommendations on way forward for a robust, transparent and accountable rating system  in  India.  The  Committee  has  made  recommendations  on  strengthening corporate  governance  and  bolstering  technical  oversight  of  the  existing  rating agency,  open  data  ecosystem  /  return  path  data,  curbing  unhealthy  business practices,  promoting  innovation,  new  business  models  and  competitiveness,  etc. The recommendations of the Committee also address various other issues referred to  them  including  the  recommendations  of  the  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of

India on the subject. (c) : In spirit of the recommendations of the above-said TRP Committee and TRAI, various steps on corporate governance and on streamlining of processes and their transparency  have  been  taken  by  BARC.  The  management  involvement  in  the ratings  generation  process  has  been  institutionally  removed.  The  Oversight  and Technical Committees within BARC have been strengthened for data validation and methodology.  The  access  protocols  for  data  have  also  been  revamped  and tightened. Notwithstanding the existing processes put in place by BARC, reforms are continuous process and policy prescriptions as may be required are made by the government from time to time. (d) and (e) : The Central Government has notified Information (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021

Technology on 25th February, 2021. The Part III of the rules inter- alia provide for the following:-

- i.    Code of Ethics to be followed by digital news publishers and publishers of OTT content.
- ii.     A three-level Grievance Redressal Mechanism consisting of the publisher (Level-I), self-regulating body constituted by the publishers (Level-II) and an  Oversight  Mechanism  of  the  Government  (Level-III),  with  time  bound grievance disposal mechanism.

The Grievances regarding content published by a publisher in relation to the Code of  Ethics  are  forwarded  to  the  concerned  publishers  as  per  Grievance  Redressal Mechanism for addressing the grievance.

*****