Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Private consultation: On the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023

​Private consultation: On the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023

The government’s gatekeeping of critical (महत्वपूर्ण) debates hurts trust in policymaking process

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has reportedly (कथित रूप से) been holding (आयोजित करना) closed-door meetings with the broadcasting and entertainment industry regarding (के संबंध में) the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, and while a draft was circulated (प्रसारित करना) last year, subsequent (बाद का, पश्चात) editions (संस्करण) are only being given to a few select stakeholders (हितधारक) — under strict terms (शर्तें) of confidentiality (गोपनीयता). Each copy of the newest draft has been provided with a unique watermark that can identify “leaks”, if any. Public consultations are an integral part of making laws that affect many Indians, a fact that was recognised (मान्यता देना, पहचानना) by the government’s 2014 Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, which recommends extensive (व्यापक) public outreach (पहुंच) before lawmaking. While the government circulated the earlier version of the Bill to the public, it seems to have insisted on (जोर देना) withholding responses, and has chosen to take just a few stakeholders into confidence. This approach ignores online creators, large parts of the media industry, and civil society (नागरिक समाज) — the very stakeholders who have the most to be concerned about with media regulation. The Bill would expand an already comprehensive (inclusive, extensive, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, thorough, sweeping, far-reaching, widespread, broad-based) regulatory (relating to the control/supervision of an activity by a set of rules, laws, etc) framework (structure, system, organization) that has been criticised as having a chilling effect (deterring/discouraging effect (resulting from a law/regulation)), discouraging free expression in a range of media spanning (extend over, spread over, range over, comprise) news and entertainment. This has been evident, for instance (as an example), in the toning down (the act of making something less forceful/intense; decrease, moderation, mitigation, reduction) of OTT streaming (it refers to any media content – live or recorded – delivered to computers and mobile devices via the internet and played back in real time) platforms’ content since the passage (enactment, passing, ratification adoption, authorization, validation (of a bill into a law)) of the IT Rules, 2021.

Cast in that light, the omission (deletion, elimination, exclusion, erasure, non-inclusion, negligence, neglect, oversight) of meaningful public consultation — a growing problem in much of policymaking across Ministries — may be less a sin of omission (a situation/condition in which we knew we should have done something good, but refused) and more a deliberate strategy (plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests)) of gatekeeping (It refers to the intentional withholding of information, knowledge, access, or opportunity — keeping these things all to yourself) major policy changes, and deciding who gets to have a say (voice, influence, sway, weight, authority) in them. While the individual laws that are being deliberated in this way may be concerning (worrying, alarming, unsettling, disquieting, distressing, disturbing), the process in and of itself (by itself (without considering anything else)) is cause (reason, grounds, basis) for significant alarm (danger signal, red flag, warning bell). When it comes to media regulation (rule, ruling, order, directive, law, Act, statute), for instance, the interests of established (popular, mainstream, well-known, prominent, famous) corporate stakeholders might not always coincide with (coexist, be concurrent; be in agreement) those of the emerging (burgeoning, nascent, incipient, budding, rising, developing) crop (group, collection, lot, batch) of creators, independent commentators, social media users and independent journalists who are also likely to be impacted by the Broadcasting Bill. Without a right to know other stakeholders’ points of view — let alone respond to them — the quality and sincerity (honesty, truthfulness, integrity, probity, seriousness) of this proposal can only be deeply (seriously, intensely, strongly) suspect (suspicious, dubious, doubtful, questionable, fishy). The government must cease methods of policymaking that may be quick and unfussy (plain, minimalist, simple, understate, uncritical, basic), but diminish (decrease, reduce, shrink, lessen) public trust (public confidence/belief in the reliability of something) in their intent. Meaningful public consultation does not constrain (restrict, limit, curb, hold back; impede, hinder, hamstring) the ability of lawmakers to proceed with their intended course of action (plan (of action), method of working, approach, programme) in any case (anyway, anyhow, nevertheless, nonetheless, no matter what happens); all it does is to put diverse (various, varying, different, multiple) points of view across. Hurried (rushed, abrupt, sudden, speedy, hasty) and gate-kept consultations may well end up (finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end)) begetting flawed (inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, imprecise, fallacious, wrong, defective) and exclusionary (unfair by excluding someone/something) legislation (body of laws, laws, statutes, ordinances, Acts).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.critical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - important, crucial.

2.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित रूप से
English Meaning - apparently, supposedly, evidently, seemingly.

3.hold (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आयोजित करना
English Meaning - convene, conduct, organize.

4.regarding (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के संबंध में
English Meaning - concerning, with regard to, with respect to, relating to.

5.circulate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसारित करना
English Meaning - distribute, give out, issue, publish, pass on.

6.subsequent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - बाद का, पश्चात
English Meaning - following, resulting, resultant, eventual, sequential, ensuing.

7.edition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संस्करण
English Meaning - version, copy, publication, revision.

8.stakeholder (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हितधारक
English Meaning - a person with an interest in something.

9.terms (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शर्तें
English Meaning - conditions.

10.confidentiality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गोपनीयता
English Meaning - secrecy, privacy.

11.recognise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान्यता देना, पहचानना
English Meaning - acknowledge, accept, realize, perceive, understand.

12.extensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक
English Meaning - comprehensive, thorough, complete, wide-ranging, all-embracing, sweeping, multidisciplinary.

13.outreach (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहुंच
English Meaning - the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.

14.insist on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - जोर देना
English Meaning - demand, press, call (for), compel, require.

15.civil society (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नागरिक समाज
English Meaning - civil society refers to space for collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values, generally distinct from government and commercial for-profit actors. It refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations. Civil society- sometimes called the “third sector” (after government and commerce) - has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses.

16.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament/Congress/Council in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion).

17.gatekeeping (noun)

English Meaning - It refers to the intentional withholding of information, knowledge, access, or opportunity — keeping these things all to yourself.

18.closed-door (adjective)

English Meaning - secret, private, stealth, surreptitious, confidential, restricted, behind-the-scenes.

19.The Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy (PLCP) 2014 (noun)

English Meaning - It mandates that whenever the Government makes any laws (bills, rules, regulations etc.), it must place a draft version of it in the public domain for at least 30 days.

20.withhold (verb)

English Meaning - keep secret, hide, conceal, refuse to give.

21.take someone into your confidence (phrase)

English Meaning - to tell someone your secrets.

22.regulation (noun)

English Meaning - rule, ruling, order, directive, law, Act, statute.

23.comprehensive (adjective)

English Meaning - inclusive, extensive, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, thorough, sweeping, far-reaching, widespread, broad-based.

24.regulatory (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the control/supervision of an activity by a set of rules, laws, etc.

25.framework (noun)

English Meaning - structure, system, organization.

26.chilling effect (noun)

English Meaning - deterring/discouraging effect (resulting from a law/regulation).

27.discourage (verb)

English Meaning - prevent, stop, hinder, obstruct, inhibit, suppress.

28.span (verb)

English Meaning - extend over, spread over, range over, comprise.

29.for instance (phrase)

English Meaning - as an example.

30.toning down (noun)

English Meaning - the act of making something less forceful/intense; decrease, moderation, mitigation, reduction.

31.tone down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - moderate, temper, mitigate, decrease, reduce, lessen.

32.over-the-top (OTT) service (noun)

English Meaning - An over-the-top media service (popularly known as OTT media service) is a streaming media service offered to the viewers directly through the Internet.

33.streaming (noun)

English Meaning - it refers to any media content – live or recorded – delivered to computers and mobile devices via the internet and played back in real time.

34.passage (noun)

English Meaning - enactment, passing, ratification adoption, authorization, validation (of a bill into a law).

35.The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (noun)

English Meaning - it has been framed in exercise of powers under section 87 (2) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and in supersession of the earlier IT (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011. It empowers ordinary users of social media, embodying a mechanism for the redressal and timely resolution of their grievances. Rules about digital media and OTT focuses more on in house and self-regulation mechanism whereby a robust grievance redressal mechanism has been provided while upholding journalistic and creative freedom. The guidelines have been framed keeping in mind the difference between viewership in a theatre and television as compared to watching it on the Internet.

36.shed/cast/throw light on (phrase)

English Meaning - to explain something by providing more information; explain, elucidate, interpret, simplify, make clear, clarify, clear up

37.seen in this light (phrase)

English Meaning - it means “to give a different perspective to something”.

38.omission (noun)

English Meaning - deletion, elimination, exclusion, erasure, non-inclusion, negligence, neglect, oversight.

39.growing (adjective)

English Meaning - increasing.

40.a sin of omission (noun)

English Meaning - a situation/condition in which we knew we should have done something good, but refused.

41.act of omission and commission (phrase)

English Meaning - act of omission and commission are, respectively, things someone failed to do, and things someone has done.

42.deliberate (adjective)

English Meaning - intentional, planned, conscious, knowing, purposeful.

43.strategy (noun)

English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

44.say (noun)

English Meaning - voice, influence, sway, weight, authority.

45.deliberate (verb)

English Meaning - discuss, debate, reflect on, mediate on, think about, ponder, consider.

46.concerning (adjective)

English Meaning - worrying, alarming, unsettling, disquieting, distressing, disturbing.

47.in and of itself (adjective)

English Meaning - by itself (without considering anything else).

48.cause (noun)

English Meaning - reason, grounds, basis.

49.alarm (noun)

English Meaning - danger signal, red flag, warning bell.

50.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

51.established (adjective)

English Meaning - popular, mainstream, well-known, prominent, famous.

52.coincide with (verb)

English Meaning - coexist, be concurrent; be in agreement.

53.emerging (adjective)

English Meaning - burgeoning, nascent, incipient, budding, rising, developing.

54.crop (noun)

English Meaning - group, collection, lot, batch.

55.commentator (noun)

English Meaning - reporter, correspondent, journalist, anchor.

56.point of view (noun)

English Meaning - opinion, view, belief, perspective, viewpoint, thought.

57.let alone (phrase)

English Meaning - not to mention.

58.sincerity (noun)

English Meaning - honesty, truthfulness, integrity, probity, seriousness.

59.deeply (adverb)

English Meaning - seriously, intensely, strongly.

60.suspect (adjective)

English Meaning - suspicious, dubious, doubtful, questionable, fishy.

61.cease (verb)

English Meaning - end, stop, discontinue, desist/refrain from.

62.unfussy (adjective)

English Meaning - plain, minimalist, simple, understate, uncritical, basic.

63.diminish (verb)

English Meaning - decrease, reduce, shrink, lessen.

64.public trust (noun)

English Meaning - public confidence/belief in the reliability of something.

65.intent (noun)

English Meaning - intention, objective, aim, goal, target.

66.constrain (verb)

English Meaning - restrict, limit, curb, hold back; impede, hinder, hamstring.

67.course of action (noun)

English Meaning - plan (of action), method of working, approach, programme.

68.in any case (phrase)

English Meaning - anyway, anyhow, nevertheless, nonetheless, no matter what happens.

69.put across (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - communicate, express, spell out, make clear, clarify.

70.diverse (adjective)

English Meaning - various, varying, different, multiple.

71.hurried (adjective)

English Meaning - rushed, abrupt, sudden, speedy, hasty.

72.gate-kept (adjective)

English Meaning - withhold something to oneself.

73.end up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end).

74.beget (verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring about, lead to, result in.

75.flawed (adjective)

English Meaning - inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, imprecise, fallacious, wrong, defective.

76.exclusionary (adjective)

English Meaning - unfair by excluding someone/something.

77.legislation (noun)

English Meaning - body of laws, laws, statutes, ordinances, Acts.