Govt reaffirms commitment to creative freedom, enforces OTT oversight via IT Rules 2021

The Central Government on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to safeguarding creative freedom while underlining the regulatory framework for Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, enforced through the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. In a written reply submitted in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that freedom of expression, including creative freedom, is protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. However, to address the negative effects of harmful content, the government has put in place a structured oversight mechanism for OTT platforms. As per Part III of the IT Rules, 2021, digital news publishers and OTT platforms are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics. OTT platforms are under obligation not to transmit any content which is prohibited by law for the time being in force. The rules provides a three-tier grievance redressal framework. Level I is "Self-regulation by the publishers," Level II is "Self-regulation through self-regulating bodies of the publishers," and Level III is "Oversight mechanism operated by the Central Government." Complaints received by the Ministry are forwarded to concerned OTT platforms for resolution as per IT Rules, 2021. Following due consultations with relevant Ministries, the Government has blocked 43 OTT platforms for displaying obscene content. The Minister also informed the House about the government's advertisement outreach, which is carried out through the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC). The CBC disseminates government messages across print, audio-visual, outdoor, and digital media. Detailed policy guidelines for each medium are available on the CBC website. Highlighting measures to strengthen India's creative economy, Vaishnaw said that the Government is actively promoting the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector. Recognised as a key component of the creative ecosystem, a National AVGC-XR Task Force constituted in April 2022 has charted out a strategic roadmap for sectoral growth. Among key initiatives was the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, held in Mumbai from May 1-4. The summit aimed to position India as a global hub for media and entertainment. It included the Create in India Challenge, which attracted over one lakh registrations across 34 creative categories such as animation, AR/VR, gaming and music. Other features included the WAVES Bazaar, the WaveX accelerator, and masterclasses in AI, XR, storytelling and digital content creation. In a major step, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has been established for the creative technologies, focusing on industry-oriented curriculum and global best practices with an investment of Rs 392.85 crore. The institute, modelled after IITs and IIMs, focuses on advanced industry-oriented training in creative technologies. It has partnered with global technology leaders like Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and WPP for academic collaboration. IICT's inaugural offerings include four specialized courses each in gaming and post-production, along with nine courses in animation, comics, and XR. Further details are available on the website of IICT.