New Delhi : The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has said that security clearance is a prerequisite for grant of permission to TV channels and that action is taken towards cancellation of permission in cases where it is denied or withdrawn.
The I&B ministry stated this at a time when the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has refused to give security clearance to the channels of Sun TV Network and few other Privet Networks and proposed to do away with security clearance for Multi System Operators (MSO)
In a written reply to a member’s question, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, also said that no private TV channel has been permitted to operate without first obtaining the security clearance.
“In cases where security clearance is denied/withdrawn, action is taken towards cancellation of permission under the guidelines,” Rathore said.
While keeping the Security Clearance a mandatory thing for operating a Private TV Channel. The government on the other hand plans to do away with national security clearance for Multi System Operators in the media sector.
Minister of State for Home, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in Lok Sabha that the Home Ministry has recently streamlined/relaxed national security clearance norms for certain sensitive sectors of the economy including the media sector.
“These guidelines also include the proposal to do away with national security clearance for multi system operators in the media sector,” he said in reply to a written question.
The new policy guidelines are aimed at bringing about a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating the ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country, he said.
