Lok Sabha Question No. 191 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-15
Subject: Banning of Media Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 191 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2022)

## BANNING OF MEDIA CHANNELS

## *191. SHRI T. N. PRATHAPAN

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

(a) whether  the  Government  has  the  data  and  the  details  of  Governmental interruptions that news channels faced since 2014 and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the number of news channels, newspapers, media platforms, online media websites and social media accounts banned/stopped/interrupted for publishing or  broadcasting  by  the  Government  since  2014,  year-wise  along  with  the reasons therefor;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  conveyed  the  detailed  explanation  of  why Media  One  was  not  allowed  to  continue  their  broadcasting  to  the  channel management, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(d) whether the Government had conveyed reasons of rejecting the renewal of licenses of the said Media One channel and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) whether the Government can access the data of media bans in the country since 2014 and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS { SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR }

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *191 FOR ANSWER ON 15.03.2022

(a) The Ministry grants permission for operating a satellite TV channel under the  Uplinking  and  Downlinking  Guidelines  2011.    The  details  of  channels whose permission has been cancelled for violation of the Guidelines is available on the Broadcast Seva Portal of the Ministry at URL: https://new.broadcastseva.gov.in.  All TV channels are required to adhere to the  Programme  Code  and  the  Advertising  Code  laid  down  under  the  Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

(b) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) is empowered to  issue  directions  for  blocking  of  content  for  violation  of  Section  69  A  of Information  Technology  Act,  2000.    The  number  of  URLs,  consisting  of  web pages, websites, pages on social media accounts, etc., blocked by MeiTY under these provisions during the period 2014-2021 is 25,368.

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 notified under the Information Technology Act, 2000 on 25 th February,  2021  inter-alia  provide  for  blocking  of  content  of  digital  news publishers  of  the  nature  referred  to  in  Section  69  A  of  the  Information Technology  Act,  2000.    The  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting  has issued directions for blocking of 56 YouTube based news channels and their social media accounts for public access during 2021-2022.

(c)  and (d) :   The Government has followed  the due process of law and the laid down  procedure  before  taking  a decision regarding cancellation of permission to TV news channel 'Media One'.  The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.

(e ):   The details regarding channels whose permission has been cancelled for violation  of  the  Guidelines  and  terms  of  permission  is  available  on  the Broadcast Seva Portal of the Ministry at URL: https://new.broadcastseva.gov.in .

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