tl;dr
On March 21, 2025, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology presented its 11th Report on the Demands for Grants (2025-2026) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Lok Sabha. The report highlights using artificial intelligence to curb misinformation and urges incorporating stakeholder feedback into the proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
Background
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology (“Committee”) presented its 11th Report on the Demands for Grants (2025-2026) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (“MIB”) before the Lok Sabha on March 21, 2025. A Demand for Grants report is a parliamentary document that examines the budgetary proposals of a specific ministry or department, analyzing financial prudence and the adequacy of allocated funds for implementing schemes and programs before they are voted upon in the Lok Sabha.
In this report, the Committee noted that MIB has been actively integrating artificial intelligence (“AI”) into the media sector through initiatives such as SAMVAD, an AI-powered dashboard that monitors social media trends, and AI news anchors on DD Kisan, which deliver agricultural news 24/7 in multiple languages. The Committee commended these efforts and further encouraged expanding AI adoption in content creation, misinformation monitoring, and administrative efficiency. Regarding the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, the Committee recommended a comprehensive review of stakeholder feedback, incorporating key suggestions to ensure the bill is holistic and technology-proof. It also suggested constituting a unified Media Council to oversee various forms of media and bringing related ministries under one umbrella for better coordination.
MIB’s AI push in broadcasting
In 2024, MIB introduced two AI news anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, capable of speaking 50 languages and operating 24/7. These innovative anchors broadcast across all Indian states, delivering crucial updates on agriculture, market trends in mandis, weather forecasts, and government schemes.
Alongside this, MIB also launched the Social Media Activities and Integrated Dashboard (“SAMVAD”) portal, a real-time dashboard designed to monitor trends and integrate AI translation tools for Doordarshan’s web portal and social media platforms. Developed by the New Media Wing (“NMW”) of MIB, SAMVAD focuses on tracking social media trends and public feedback to support citizen-centric governance. It monitors contemporary developments, assists in formulating government responses, and uses AI for tasks such as sentiment analysis and trend tracking.
After appreciating MIB for its efforts, the Committee also recommended further integrating AI into the functioning of the MIB. The Committee stressed that leveraging AI to monitor misinformation and disinformation trends is a critical priority in addressing emerging challenges. It also recommended collaborating with academic institutions and private-sector AI companies to develop innovative broadcasting applications. Furthermore, it proposed using AI for content creation, automating low-interference services, enhancing predictive analysis for policy-making, and optimising administrative processes.
Remarkably, MIB is already seeking to develop an AI and Machine Learning (ML)-powered integrated dashboard to analyse recent news stories and forecast emerging trends, enhancing the ability to respond swiftly. The dashboard will also observe media channels in real-time and even set up customisable alerts for specific keywords, enabling timely notifications about emerging issues. Alongside this, a multilingual translation and voice localisation platform will be created to facilitate public dissemination of government initiatives. According to MIB’s Request for Expression of Interest, the tool will leverage historical data to predict media trends, providing insights for corrective measures and citizen-oriented communication strategies. By proactively identifying trends, MIB aims to counter misinformation, enable swift interventions, and strengthen public trust. In fact, last month MIB in collaboration with the India Cellular & Electronics Association (“ICEA”), announced the TruthTell Hackathon. They have invited developers, data scientists and media professionals from across the globe to create AI-powered solutions aimed at real-time detection and verification of misinformation in live broadcasting.
Our concerns
While the push for integrating AI aims to improve efficiency and tackle misinformation, it raises several concerns. AI systems operate on a large scale, monitoring real-time trends across social media, news, and broadcasting with minimal human oversight, increasing the risk of over-censorship and privacy violations. SAMVAD, with its ability to track social media trends, sentiment, and feedback, could potentially be misused for surveillance. For instance, if AI algorithms are tuned to flag certain keywords or topics, they might disproportionately target individuals critical of the government. By collecting metadata, locations, and behavioral patterns, authorities could potentially build detailed profiles of individuals without their knowledge or consent. This could lead to intimidation, censorship, or even legal action against those expressing dissenting opinions, thereby stifling free speech.
The opacity of AI algorithms makes decisions harder to challenge or appeal, while the vast data collection required for trend analysis could lead to misuse or a chilling effect on free speech. Though AI might seem more objective if implemented by private or academic partnerships, its widespread automation and the potential to systematically shape narratives without transparency make it a potentially greater threat to information freedom.
One framework, many concerns
The Committee noted that the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill was drafted to replace the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, aiming to streamline regulatory processes and expand its purview to cover Over-the-Top (“OTT”) platforms and digital news. The Committee appreciated the bill’s objectives but recommended a comprehensive review of feedback, incorporating key stakeholder suggestions to ensure the bill is holistic, robust, and technology-proof. It also suggested periodic reviews to keep the legislation relevant amid evolving technologies. Additionally, the Committee proposed considering a comprehensive Media Bill to address concerns related to Broadcasting, Cable TV, OTT platforms, and more. It recommended exploring the feasibility of forming a Media Council to unify various media formats — print, broadcasting, and digital — for better coordination and implementation of laws. To tackle the issues arising from media convergence, the Committee also advised examining the possibility of bringing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Telecommunications, and MIB under one umbrella.
Our concerns
Notably, previous versions of the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill had already consolidated various forms of media — television, radio, OTT platforms, digital news, and social media — under a single regulatory framework. Traditionally, these platforms operated independently, with distinct modes of content delivery. Television and radio followed a "push" model, broadcasting content to passive audiences, while OTT platforms, digital news, and social media relied on a "pull" model, where users actively choose what to consume.
The push for a unified legal framework has sparked significant concerns over censorship, overregulation, and legal complexities, drawing criticism from the public. Expanding government oversight to digital news and social media risks undermining press freedom and stifling independent content creation. Labeling influencers as "digital news broadcasters" could impose unrealistic compliance standards on individuals. Additionally, uniform regulations may overlook the unique nature of OTT content, where the pull model gives viewers the autonomy to choose what they watch, making standardised rules difficult to justify and implement. It is interesting how this push for greater control coincides with the government's adoption of AI-driven tools, such as SAMVAD. This tool is designed to monitor real-time media trends across platforms, including microblogging sites like X (formerly Twitter), potentially extending regulatory oversight to user-generated content and raising further concerns about censorship and privacy.
Additionally, bringing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Telecommunications, and MIB under one umbrella may not necessarily resolve the issues arising from media convergence. Instead, it could add layers of bureaucracy, making regulation more complex and less transparent. Different platforms face unique challenges, and a centralised approach risks enforcing one-size-fits-all rules that may overlook the nuances of each medium, potentially stifling innovation and independent content creation.
Broadcasting Bill on hold
The call for stricter OTT regulation gained renewed attention after the Supreme Court urged the government "to do something" while hearing a case involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia over his comments on the comedy show India's Got Latent. In the wake of this, the Committee, in its 6th Action Taken Report tabled in the Lok Sabha earlier this week (read more here), urged MIB to "set a deadline for completing the entire process (of stakeholder consultation) and introduce the 'Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill' in Parliament at the earliest." However, in its Demands for Grants report, MIB revealed that it currently has no intention “to introduce the Bill in the Parliament, presently” once again failing to provide a clear timeline for its implementation.
IFF intends to engage with the Standing Committee on Information Technology towards rights and evidence based policy making that advances constitutionalism which includes the risks of the Broadcasting Bill, 2024.
Important documents
- Parliamentary Standing Committee’s 11th Report on the Demands for Grants (2025-2026) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting [Link]