Amid criticism, Centre says it will release fresh draft of Broadcast bill after consultations

The Centre on Monday said that it will publish a fresh draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill after holding detailed consultations with stakeholders. The announcement came amid allegations by several press bodies and civil society organisations that the provisions of the bill impinged on free speech online.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has withdrawn the latest draft of the bill, which was at the centre of the controversy, the Hindustan Times reported, citing five individuals aware of the matter. The government has reportedly asked stakeholders to return physical copies that were given to them on July 24 and July 25.

The Centre’s statement on Monday, however, only mentions the first draft of the bill that was made public on November 10, and does not make any reference to the latest draft that was reportedly shared with select stakeholders last month.

The Centre had not released the latest draft of the bill publicly, which had led journalists and activists to call for wider consultations.

The information and broadcasting ministry said on Monday that it received several comments and suggestions on the draft of the bill released on November 10.

“Ministry is holding a series of consultations with the stakeholders on the draft bill,” it said in a post on X. “Further additional time is being provided...

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