The Information & Broadcasting ministry on October 5 notified significant amendments to the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, which replace imprisonment provisions with monetary penalty and non-monetary actions like issuance of warnings and advisories, and censure.
Earlier, the 1995 Act had a provision for punishment for contravention under any of its provisions, including imprisonment up to two years in the first instance and five years subsequently.
The government said that to make the law more business-friendly and boost investor confidence, the punishments were re-examined and decriminalised through the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023.