NEW DELHI: As many as 31 TV channels were asked to stop transmission for specific period of time ranging from one day to 60 days including news channel for 30 days between 2005 and 2016.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Ministry Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Parliament that 22 private television channels including one channel for three different programmes and another for two programmes were asked to suspend transmission for duration ranging from one day to 30 days for telecasting content in violation of the Programme Code during the last three years and the current year.

This included 14 in 2013, one in 2014, four in 2015, and three in 2016 (till November), Rathore said.

The three in the current year are -- NDTV India and Care World India with one violation each, and News Time Assam for three violations. The orders relating to NDTV and Care World India have been challenged in the courts of law. Earlier, in 2014, Manoranjan TV was punished twice.

The channels punished in 2014 and 2015 are -- Enterr 10, Zing, Mahua, SS TV, AXN, FTV, Movies OK, Comedy Central, Zoom TV, ABN Andhra Jyoti, UTV Bindass, WB, NTV, Big CBS Love, Jai Hind, Al Jazeera, and Satlon News.

Action is taken against TV channels whenever any violation of the Programme and Advertising Codes is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry. The Ministry generally issues warnings or advisories to comply with the Codes or asks the channels to run an apology scroll on their channel.

But, Rathore said the channels are occasionally taken off air temporarily for a limited period depending on the gravity of the violation.