"Yes, we are aware of this and have referred it to the PMO, to take a look into the matter," sources in the HRD ministry said. Confirming the development, I secretary Uday Kumar Varma told HT: "There are certain uplinking and downlinking guidelines that have to be adhered to."

Under the present guidelines, only companies registered under the Companies Act, 1956, can operate a TV channel. The HRD ministry is not a registered company, so unless amendments are made to the existing law, it would not be possible to grant permission to the HRD ministry, said an I ministry official.

"For amendments to the existing law, the usual route of forwarding it to the Union cabinet has to be followed," the official said adding: "Under Companies Act, license to operate TV channels can only be given to registered companies not to government departments."

Aiming to give a boost to education, the HRD ministry plans to make television an education medium in a big way and plans to launch as many as 1,000 channels in this regard.

It had already initiated steps to launch the first 50 round-the-clock channels at the earliest and had approached the Information and Broadcasting ministry for permission.

Sanjib Kr Baruah Vanita Srivastava HRD

No issues with Centre over Liyaqat's arrest: OmarJammu and Kashmir's policy to rehabilitate surrendered militants did not work in the case of Liyaqat Ali Shah but the state was not at loggerheads with the central government on the issue, chief minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday.

Court asks police to provide forensic reports to Ponty murder accused BJP uses Beni's attack on Mulayam to target Congress Suicide notes strong evidence against Kanda: Police Hazare to begin nationwide Lokpal tour

Superman's youthful years between his crash-landing on Earth from Krypton as an infant and his emergence as a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis have often gotten short shrift in the many TV and film properties that brought the comic-book hero to life.

But for 10 seasons on the (now-defunct) WB and CW television channels, Smallville extensively explored Clark Kent's life as a high school kid. Kent, born Kal-El on Krypton, is adopted by Jonathan (John Schneider) and Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole) and raised in Smallville, Kan. In the first season, he discovers that he is actually a visitor from another planet and that he has powers greater than earthbound humans. Martha and Jonathan help him come to grips with his heritage and his developing abilities, which cause him plenty of awkward moments. He also communes with his biological father, Jor-El.

Familiar characters come and go throughout this modern retelling of the Superman mythology, which generated a raft of comic books, novels and other tie-ins. Kent developed friends including Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore), cousin Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort), Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance). And he fought villains such as Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), Brainiac (James Marsters), General Zod (Callum Blue) and Doomsday (Davis Bloome). The show also introduced Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, one of Kent's best friends, who also happens to be the truth-seeking editor of the high school newspaper.

By David Gray, WB

Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lane, Welling as Clark Kent and Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor.

The box set's 62 discs are held in two lay-flat picture books. The set comes with several featurettes, including a season-by-season look at the series, interviews with Welling and other stars, plus rare behind-the-scenes footage. It also comes with an unaired 1961 pilot film for The Adventures of Superboy, an expanded version of the 100th episode, and a DC Comics-created Daily Planet newspaper that highlights important story lines from the show. In all, it comprises 156 hours of episodes and an additional 28 hours of features.

Fans who already have collected the first nine seasons on home video can get Smallville: The Complete Tenth Season (2011, Warner Bros., not rated, $59; Blu-ray, $68). It comes with two hours of bonus features.