NEW DELHI: A total of 178 applications for new TV channels have been pending with the Government of India since 2012.

Information and Broadcasting Minister of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, “The grant of permission to private TV channels is dependent upon requisite clearances from various ministries and departments. After receipt of all clearances, the ministry takes up the case for grant or rejection of permissions.”

The Minister further added that the matters were being taken up regularly with various departments and ministries at various levels for early clearance so that the permission to the TV channels could be granted.

Giving details on the pendency, Rathore said that there were 36 applications in 2012, 59 in 2013, 56 in 2014 and 27 in 2015.

The Minister said that the Ministry, at present, granted permission to 832 TV channels out of which 406 were news and 426 were general entertainment channels (GECs). Religious channels and sports channels are included in the GEC category.