MPs debate issue of Sanskriti vs freedom to watch on OTT platforms in IT Committee meeting

By Payal Mehta

New Delhi [India], April 17 : The opposition MPs on Monday questioned the Centre over efforts to censor Over The Top (OTT) platforms in the country and in reply, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the step was taken under the IT intermediary rules.

Earlier today, a meeting of a parliamentary panel on the crucial issue of OTT platforms in India was held.

The subject of the meeting was 'Emergence of OTT platforms and related issues' by the Department Related Standing Committee for Communications and Information and Technology, chaired by Shiv Sena MP, Pratap Rao Jadhav.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting led by I&B Secretary Apoorva Chandra were present before the Committee.

Officials from the Ministry made a detailed presentation before the panel on the matter.

In the meeting, opposition MPs questioned the motive of the government on why there was an effort to control OTTs. The MPs wanted to know from the government if there was a particular reason why they wanted to insist on censoring content on OTT, which is anyways an open platform, sources said.

During the presentation, the Ministry told MPs that there were mechsms in place to keep the content in check under the IT intermediary rules.

The govt told MPs that close to 60 OTT platforms were currently functional in India with 11.9 crore paid subscribers. The viewership has gone up by nearly 60 per cent since Covid 2020.

Till 2021 there was no regulatory mechsm in place for OTTs unlike Films in Cinema Halls controlled by Cinematograph Act, 1952 (Certification by CBFC) and Films/serials on TV by Cable TV Network Act, 1995,

The government told MPs that there is a Three-Tier Co-Regulatory Grievance Redressal Mechsm in place including grievance redressal by the producer of the content, the next level of self-regulation by the platform and the third layer of the Central Government Oversight Committee.

The panel was further informed that 290 grievances were received by Ministry and sent to OTT platforms for redressal.

Out of this 16 were resolved at level two whereas just one reached the third level being referred to the Centre.

The govt told MPs that content like Elephant Whisperers, a Netflix India Original won the Oscars in 2022.

The sources further said that MPs from the NDA argued and said there cannot be unregulated content and there should be a mechsm of checks and balances in place for regulation for content on OTTs just the way it's in place for films and TV content.

MPs from the ruling party argued that it was important to regulate content for a nation like India, given its vast culture and Sanskriti. On the other hand, opposition MPs argued about the freedom given to individuals to watch the content that they like as long as it is not a misrepresentation of facts.

On further details being sought by the MPs on how the government plans to regulate the content on OTTs, it is learnt that the ministry will revert back to the panel.

The Committee is further studying the matter and in its subsequent meetings is likely to ask major OTT platforms to depose before it.

Apart from Jadhav, some other MPs who attended today's meeting included Jawahar Sircar & Shatrughan Sinha from TMC, John Brittas from Left, Dr l Agarwal, Jageesh Sunita Duggal from BJP.