New Delhi – The government in India has launched an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) that can simultaneously track over 120 commercial television channels. The centre, located at Prasar Bharati office in IP Estate, will allow the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry to monitor content in the Indian skies. According to The Times of India, the EMMC has a budget of Rs 20 crore (US$ 4.7 million) for the next five years and will expand to monitoring 200 channels in the second phase. The Centre is currently manned by 35 people who will be checking for programmes that violate the ministry’s code. They will receive content through Direct-to home (DTH), cable services and C-band antennae. An official said that this will be a first step in independent monitoring of programmes aired in India. The ministry has thus far been dependent on TV channels for material. Ministry officials pointed out that the centre will help in gathering evidence required by the ministry in cases of complaints on violations of programming code.