NEW DELHI: Contrary to impressions in the west, India is fast moving in a direction opposite to liberalization in respect of at least two key issues of media control and postal services.
First, a piece of legislation is being drafted to control cable television networks beaming international programs which have gained credibility among the public fed up with the country’s monopolistic hold of the national radio and television system. Undercover of regulation, India’s information and broadcasting ministry plans to make inroads in the freedom of the international media to carry out their programs unhindered; the proposal also envisages compulsion on the international media to spare time to beam the Indian networks programs.
India’s ministry for communications has a Proposal to severely curtail the freedom enjoyed by the public Courier services which have grown into an Rs 300 crore industries. The movies not to. Allow these courier companies to carry articles which weigh less than 200 grams each, in this India has invoked a 150 year old British postal law to Suggest that the state continue with its monopoly of the public communication sector.
While India’s television and radio networks are rarely discredited owing to the fact that the programs are heavily weighted in favor of propaganda and personality build up, the country’s postal System is viewed by the public as obsolete and inefficient. The Growth of the private courier ser. vice Industry is in direct proportion to the lethargy of the public sector.
Private courier industry has strongly criticized the Government’s move and Wants it withdrawn but there is little possibility of this happening because of the Stranglehold Of the bureaucracy on the Indian central government.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 18, 1993
