Latest news with #MinistryofInformation&Broadcasting
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
WaveX unveils 'Kalaa Setu' to tap AI startups for multilingual citizen outreach
In a strategic push to harness the power of AI for inclusive communication, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through its WaveX Startup Accelerator Platform, has launched the "Kalaa Setu - Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat" Challenge. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said in a release that this nationwide initiative invites India's leading AI startups to develop indigenous, scalable solutions for automated generation of audio, video, and graphic content from textual inputs, with support for multiple Indian languages. The challenge focuses on scalable solutions that support three core areas of AI-driven content generation. First, text-to-video generation allows for the automated creation of video content from text, with the ability to customise the environment, tone, and subject matter to suit different communication needs. Second, text-to-graphics generation enables the production of data-driven infographics and illustrative visuals that make complex information easier to understand and visually engaging. Third, text-to-audio generation, which uses advanced voice synthesis to produce speech that is not only accurate but also emotionally expressive and sensitive to regional accents, enhancing relatability and impact in multilingual contexts. Kalaa Setu aims to bridge the digital language divide by enabling public communication bodies to dynamically transform official information into regionally resonant formats such as infographic visuals, contextualised video explainers, and audio news capsules, in real time. Whether it is a farmer accessing weather alerts, a student receiving exam updates, or a senior citizen learning about healthcare schemes, the initiative seeks to deliver information in a manner that is not only contextually relevant but also available in their own languages. Startups can register and apply for the challenge through the WAVEX portal at under the "Kalaa Setu" challenge category. Startups have to submit a working Minimum Viable Concept (MVC) by July 30th, 2025, showcasing a video demo of the product. The final shortlisted teams will present their solutions before a national jury in New Delhi, with the winner receiving an MoU for full-scale development, pilot support with AIR, DD, and PIB, and incubation under the WAVEX Innovation Platform. Technical requirements and other details for the challenges can be accessed from the WaveX portal.
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
WaveX unveils 'Kalaa Setu' to tap AI startups for multilingual citizen outreach
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): In a strategic push to harness the power of AI for inclusive communication, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, through its WaveX Startup Accelerator Platform, has launched the 'Kalaa Setu - Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat' Challenge. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said in a release that this nationwide initiative invites India's leading AI startups to develop indigenous, scalable solutions for automated generation of audio, video, and graphic content from textual inputs, with support for multiple Indian languages. The challenge focuses on scalable solutions that support three core areas of AI-driven content generation. First, text-to-video generation allows for the automated creation of video content from text, with the ability to customise the environment, tone, and subject matter to suit different communication needs. Second, text-to-graphics generation enables the production of data-driven infographics and illustrative visuals that make complex information easier to understand and visually engaging. Third, text-to-audio generation, which uses advanced voice synthesis to produce speech that is not only accurate but also emotionally expressive and sensitive to regional accents, enhancing relatability and impact in multilingual contexts. Kalaa Setu aims to bridge the digital language divide by enabling public communication bodies to dynamically transform official information into regionally resonant formats such as infographic visuals, contextualised video explainers, and audio news capsules, in real time. Whether it is a farmer accessing weather alerts, a student receiving exam updates, or a senior citizen learning about healthcare schemes, the initiative seeks to deliver information in a manner that is not only contextually relevant but also available in their own languages. Startups can register and apply for the challenge through the WAVEX portal at under the 'Kalaa Setu' challenge category. Startups have to submit a working Minimum Viable Concept (MVC) by July 30th, 2025, showcasing a video demo of the product. The final shortlisted teams will present their solutions before a national jury in New Delhi, with the winner receiving an MoU for full-scale development, pilot support with AIR, DD, and PIB, and incubation under the WAVEX Innovation Platform. Technical requirements and other details for the challenges can be accessed from the WaveX portal. (ANI)
The Print
06-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
X withholds Reuters primary handle in India acting on legal demand
India's Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), too, has yet to address the restriction through official channels. The news agency, which employs 2,600 journalists across 165 countries, is yet to issue an official statement in response to the restriction. Reuters is the news and media division of the Thomson Reuters Corporation, headquartered in Toronto. New Delhi: At the stroke of the midnight hour on 6 July, the primary and world 'X' handles of the Reuters news agency were 'withheld' in India 'in response to a legal demand'. It is unclear at this time whether the restriction was initiated at the request of a competent Indian court or the government, since more than 30 active secondary Reuters handles on X (formerly Twitter) can still be accessed by users in India. The Reuters news website can still be accessed in India at this time. In previous instances of X restricting access to accounts in India, 'in response to a legal demand', the platform with upwards of 20 million Indian users has issued statements through its Global Government Affairs handle. For instance, on 8 May, 2025, X issued a statement saying it had 'received executive orders from the Indian government' requiring it to 'block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company's local employees'. Terms of service of the micro-blogging platform, of which Tesla CEO Elon Musk owns '9.6 percent stake' according to a 2022 Reuters report, say all 'legal requests' are submitted via X's legal request submissions site. Adding, 'Receipt of correspondence by this means does not waive any objections, including the lack of jurisdiction or proper service.' In its statement in May, X had specified that 'orders' received by the Indian government '…include demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organizations and prominent X users'. The 255-word statement went on to say that 'in most cases' the Indian government 'has not specified which posts from an account have violated India's local laws' and, for 'a significant number of accounts, we (X) did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts'. Through the statement, the platform Musk acquired in October 2022 also expressed its 'disagreement' with the Indian government's 'demands'. 'Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech,' it submitted, following up with: 'However, due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders at this time.' This is a developing story (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Govt asked X to take down Oppn posts on Amit Shah's Ambedkar remark, 'fabricated' content on Jay Shah
NDTV
29-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
List Achievements, Ministers Told As Modi Government Completes 11 Years
New Delhi: The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will focus on another performance review as it completes 11 years in power and one year of Modi 3.0 on June 9. Sources said all ministries have been instructed to submit a detailed report of their achievements. This would include a review of the past year as well as the full eleven-year term. These reports will be compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, which will create a booklet highlighting the achievements, sources said. The government will also make an all-out effort to reach out to the people. The key outreach efforts, sources said, would include comparison between the past and present to showcase progress, promotion of achievements on social media by all ministries. To spread the message, the government will reach out through newspaper articles and media conferences. The government will also hold special programs on key dates. The schedule is: June 5: World Environment Day June 9: One year of Modi 3.0 June 21: International Yoga Day June 25: 50 years since the Emergency The complete blueprint was discussed in detail at yesterday's cabinet meeting. BJP chief JP Nadda also held a video conference with all party MPs to outline the upcoming public engagement programmes. Speaking ahead of the government's 10th anniversary last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, "For us, the development projects are not to form government, but to form a Viksit Bharat. Our future generations should not face the struggles which were faced by us".
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Offshore betting ads top complaints to ASCI in 2024–25
Advertisements promoting offshore betting and gambling platforms constituted the largest share of complaints received by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) in 2024–25, the self-regulatory body said in its Annual Complaints Report. Of the 7,078 advertisements reviewed by ASCI, 43.52% — or over 3,000 — were related to offshore betting and gambling. These platforms, routinely banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, have witnessed rapid proliferation online, prompting concerns among stakeholders in the real money gaming (RMG) sector. 'ASCI has been escalating advertisements that are prohibited by law to appropriate regulators for appropriate action,' the report noted. The number of such advertisements increased from 2,707 in 2023–24 to 3,347 in the past year. These include promotions related to betting and gambling, prohibited drugs making magic health claims, alcohol, and tobacco. The volume of gambling-related advertisements has more than doubled, ASCI said, 'from 1,311 the previous year to 3,081 cases this year.' Several of these were flagged in collaboration with RMG industry associations, which established a 'special monitoring unit' in January 2025 to aid detection. ASCI also reported continued cooperation with sector-specific regulators. A similar monitoring arrangement with MahaRERA, Maharashtra's real estate regulatory authority, resulted in the identification of 1,755 non-compliant advertisements in the real estate sector. The second-largest category of flagged advertisements was submitted to the Ministry of AYUSH under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. ASCI reported 233 ads promoting products as miracle cures in violation of the Act. 'Twenty-one ads directly promoting alcoholic beverages on social media were reported to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,' the report added. Influencer marketing also remained a significant area of concern. ASCI said it investigated 1,015 ads by influencers over the year. 'Out of 100 influencer posts reviewed, only 29% had proper disclosures, while 2% cases were dismissed due to evidence of no material connection,' the body said. 'Alarmingly, 69% violated disclosure norms, with 56.8% lacking disclosure labels entirely and 43.2% having disclosures improperly placed within hashtags.' While 59 influencers agreed to corrections voluntarily, five complied after jury recommendations. Another five influencers (7%) were escalated to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for continued non-compliance. The fashion and lifestyle (27.5%), telecom products (21.7%), and personal care (13%) sectors accounted for 62% of all influencer-related violations, ASCI said.
