MHA revokes security clearance of Qatar-based channel Al Jazeera

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revoked the security clearance of Qatar government's state-funded English news broadcaster Al Jazeera.

• It is believed that the main reason for this revocation is considered to be over a documentary made by the Qatari channel on militancy in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which Indian Government viewed as "biased".
• Al Jazeera has reportedly filed petition for reviewing this decision.

Important to note:

• The role of MHA is limited to matter related to security clearance.
• The decision on cancellation of broadcasting licence of a news channel is taken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

A look at recent history:

• Foreign channels need security clearance from MHA and broadcasting clearance from Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
• Al Jazeera's security clearance was valid from December 3, 2010, and expired on May 29, 2018.
• Earlier also, Al Jazeera was involved into a controversy with the Indian government.
• In 2015, it had published an incorrect map of J&K.
• For this, Government had then suspended it for 5 days in which time, they carried blank screen with a message running on it as instructed by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• Some other channels who were rejected security clearances recently include ABC News, Focus NE TV, Voice of Nation, Jhankar News, Maa TV, Bhakti Sagar, M Tunes and Lemon News.
• In some cases channels have their permissions withdrawn for other reasons too, such as owners seeking cancellations, non-operationalisation of channel, non-submission of documents.

About MEA May 2018 notification:

• In May 2018, Ministry of External Affairs had reminded foreign journalists that it is mandatory for them to take prior permission before travelling to areas such as J&K as well as Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and parts of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan as these are considered protected and restricted areas.

Question:

Q. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has revoked the security clearance of which English news broadcaster?
a. BBC
b. Al Jazeerac. CNN
d. None of the above