MUMBAI: Discovery Science will be bringing to its viewer?s an anthology named Designing Nature which will consist of two series - Ecopolis and Eco-Tech. Both the series offer revolutionary concepts and cutting edge technologies that might hold the key to reversing environmental destruction. Designing Nature will premier on 6 January and will be aired every Sunday at 9 pm.

The series Ecopolis explores a realistic vision of what our cities might look like by the year 2050. It provides an in-depth analysis of the possible problems in the future megacities which might be dirty, polluted, running out of food, water and fuel, and prone to blackouts. Hosted by Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Daniel Kammen, Ecopolis investigates the threats and evaluates merits of the model to the future city. The host also shares his views on how to reduce the carbon footprint.

Eco-Tech presents the research undertaken by scientists, chemists, biologists, geologists, engineers, and other visionaries that will transform how we power our vehicles, build our homes and offices, generate energy, manage our waste, and cope with increasingly extreme weather. For decades, scientists have been steadily gathering evidence that mankind?s current way of life cannot be sustained much longer. The series showcases amazing solutions that some of the best minds have come up with and also "how and why" these technologies work.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific senior vice president and general manager - South Asia Rahul Johri said, "Discovery Science offers thought-provoking insights into the impact of science and technology on our daily lives. Designing Nature will give viewers an interesting look at many breakthrough technologies that could transform our cities."

Discovery Science is available on both analogue and DTH platforms including Tata Sky, Dish TV, Videocon D2H and Airtel Digital TV.

NEW DELHI: Even as the Government has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to re-examine the issue of giving licences to state governments or central ministries for launching television channels, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has sought permission to start fifty educational direct-to-home (DTH) TV channels.

HRD Ministry?s application has been referred by the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry to the Committee of Secretaries, which has in turn set up a Group of Secretaries to examine the need for modifications in the existing uplinking guidelines.

I&B Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that applications were also received earlier from the Rural Development Ministry, and the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments seeking permission for launching their own television channels.

Under the existing rules, permission is only granted to companies registered under the Companies Act 1956 to own a television channel.

An HRD Ministry source said it was ironical that there is no provision for permission to educational channels, despite the Right to Education having become a Constitutional right.

Tewari had clarified last week that TRAI recommendations in 2008 against giving licences to states or central ministries to own television channels had neither been accepted nor been acted upon by his ministry.

MUMBAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has received 750 complaints of paid news during the state assembly elections in the current year, Information & Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said.

In comparison, the ECI had received 155 complaints of paid news during the state assembly elections last year.
Tewari also informed that the Press Council of India (PCI) has received nine complaints of paid news this year compared to 17 in the previous.

"The Press Council of India (PCI), an autonomous body to maintain and improve the standards of press, received 17 complaints of paid news in the year 2009-10, two complaints in the year 2010-11 and 11 complaints in 2011-12 and nine complaints till date in the current year," Tewari said in a statement laid in the Lok Sabha.

In response to another question, Tewari told the Lok Sabha that Doordarshan had earned Rs 865.7 million from the auction of slots on its direct-to-home (DTH) platform to free-to-air channels in the year 2011-12.