An affidavit has been filed in response to the Supreme Court’s comments against the Sudarshan TV show that wears a green T-shirt, hat and beard to represent Muslims and thus stereotype an entire community.
The government’s response, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has come before a consultation of the highest court on the need to regulate electronic media, following the controversy surrounding the Sudarshan TV program on the entry of Muslims into the public administration .
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- Last update: September 21, 2020 12:38 PM IST
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Digital media are “completely out of control” and are rampant tarnishing people’s reputations, as well as spreading poisonous hatred and violence, the central government has presented in the Supreme Court.
In its affidavit, the government stated that the regulation of digital media is also an issue that must be examined by the legislature.
But if the high court is persuaded to establish guidelines for major electronic and print media, which the government said is not mandatory, the court should begin this exercise with “web-based digital media.”
“In the event that this Honorable Court wishes to travel to broader issues than the subject in question, including series or a particular television channel, it is absolutely inevitable to start with digital media,” the affidavit underlined.
He said the high court should either let the government and the competent legislature establish new guidelines for print and electronic media, or begin this exercise by controlling digital media first.
According to the affidavit, announcer and editor, finding themselves under the radar of certain content, they can start using digital media to publish the same, since the latter has no regulations.
The government’s response, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has come before a consultation of the highest court on the need to regulate electronic media, following the controversy surrounding the Sudarshan TV program on the entry of Muslims into the public administration .
The affidavit said once again that it is not necessary for the Supreme Court to embark on an exercise to establish guidelines for print and electronic media in light of the existing codes and their self-regulatory mechanism.
The government maintained that before granting permission for a news channel, the Interior Ministry also examines aspects of national security.
While it indicates that a little adjustment is sufficient when it comes to improving the self-regulatory mechanism, the affidavit held that the higher court cannot expand the scope of this petition by establishing broader guidelines of general application and letting it be so. the competent legislator to do so.
At the same time, the government highlighted how digital media is absolutely unregulated.
“By the very nature of their makeup, print and electronic media would seldom cross the line that these Hon’ble Courts may need to intervene frequently. Contrary to that, by their very nature, digital media based on the web, in general, remain unregulated, “stated the government.
The affidavit also sought to address the concerns of the court, which had previously observed during the course of the proceeding that electronic media use radio waves, that they are public property and are therefore subject to all reasonable restrictions.
“The way electronic media uses ‘airwaves’, which is public property, web-based digital media also use ‘spectrum’ and ‘Internet’, which is also public property. On the web they include digital web portals, web magazines and the channels run on video hosting platforms like YouTube etc. which are in the thousands and millions of rupees, “the affidavit emphasized.
Until now, there are no eligibility criteria or qualifications stipulated by law to start web magazines or news portals or channels, the government said, adding that there is no need to register as of now or any legal provision governing its operation as of now, except for some provisions of Information and Technology Act.
The Supreme Court will take the matter to its hearing at 2:00 p.m. on Monday.
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