NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley has denied that there is any proposal is under consideration for setting up a separate mechanism for censorshjip of television programmes on the lines of the Central Board of Film Certification.

While stressing that the present mechanisms within the ministry are adequate deal with television channels, he said that action had been taken against television channels in 75 cases of violation of programme or Advertisement Codes from 2013 to 2015. He said no action had been initiated against any channels during 2016.

He said the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 under which the programmes telecast on private satellite TV channels are regulated does not provide for pre-censorship of content broadcast on TV channels. The Act and the rules of 1994 provide for a Programme Code.

All programmes and advertisements telecast on TV channels are required to be in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code and Advertising Code available on ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

These codes contain a whole range of principles to be followed by the TV channels for all kinds of programmes including reality shows. Action is taken whenever violation of these codes is brought to the notice of the ministry.

The I and B ministry set up a state-of-art Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) in 2008 to look over the content telecast on 50 private satellite television channels on a 24x7 basis. This was gradually increased to 100 and then to 300.

Under the 12th plan (2012-2017), a plan scheme “Strengthening of EMMC” has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 90 crores to increase the monitoring capacity to 1500 TV channels by the end of Plan period. Accordingly, EMMC is presently monitoring 600 TV channels while work is on to increase the capacity further to 900 TV channels shortly.

The Iand B ministry had constituted an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) to regulate content on satellite TV channels on 25 April and amended it in 2011 to include a representative from the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry to accord focused attention to consumer related issues. It is headed by the Additional Secretary in the I and B with seven representatives of different ministries as well as a nominee of the Advertising Standards Council of India. The Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) is the Member Convener