NEW DELHI: Imparting a pace of urgency in view of the approaching deadline for implementation of digital addressable system (DAS), the last three Open House meetings between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and multi system operators (MSOs) showed greater positivity with most applicants being told their applications had been processed.

This is contrary to the practice a few months earlier when MSOs were told in most meetings that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had not yet given security clearance to them.

While there were some cases where such clearance is awaited, MSOs like DEN Discovery, DEN Premium, DEN Ambey, Den Enjoy, Mahvir DEN, GTPL and Good Media News were given other reasons for delay but were generally given an optimistic message.

The MHA had some months earlier streamlined and relaxed national security clearance norms for certain sensitive sectors including the media sector.

The Parliament had been informed by the Home Ministry that its new policy guidelines included doing away with national security clearance for MSOs in the media sector. 

The guidelines are aimed at bringing about a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating the ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.

However MIB sources told Indiantelevision.com that the Ministry had still not received any note from the Home Ministry in this regard.