New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken action in over 140 instances of violations of the Programme and Advertising Code by private television channels over the last five years, Minister of State for I&B Dr. L. Murugan informed the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply to a query raised by Kalyan Banerjee, the minister said a total of 144 cases were dealt with between 2021 and 2025 under the framework of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.
The data shared by the ministry shows that enforcement actions have ranged from advisories and warnings to apology scroll orders and, in rare cases, suspension of broadcast. Alerts accounted for the largest share at 50 instances, followed by 54 apology scroll orders and 35 advisories issued to specific channels. The government also issued three off-air orders, along with one instance each of permission revocation and rejection orders during the period.
The Programme Code prohibits content that is obscene, promotes communal disharmony, attacks religious sentiments, or defames individuals and sections of society. Similarly, the Advertising Code mandates that advertisements must not contain indecent, suggestive, or offensive material.
The ministry emphasised that a structured three-tier grievance redressal system is in place to handle complaints against television content. At the first level, broadcasters are required to address complaints directly. The second level involves self-regulatory bodies formed by broadcasters, while the third level provides oversight through a central government mechanism.
Beyond television, the government highlighted parallel regulatory frameworks across other media. Print publications are governed by the ethical guidelines of the Press Council of India, which can censure or admonish violations. Digital news publishers and OTT platforms are regulated under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which also prescribes a three-tier complaint redressal structure.
The disclosures come amid ongoing scrutiny of content standards across platforms, with regulators increasingly emphasising compliance and accountability in both traditional broadcasting and digital media ecosystems.
