Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023

News

• The Lok Sabha approved the ‘Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’ today, marking the passage of the bill through Parliament.
• It had already been approved by the Rajya Sabha.
• The ‘Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867’ is repealed.

About Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023

• The purpose of the Bill is to streamline the online title verification and periodical registration process run by the Press Registrar General of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI).
• The Bill contains clauses pertaining to newspaper circulation and verification. Additionally, it stipulates that the Central Government must give prior approval before facsimile editions of foreign periodicals can be published in India.
• The Bill states that a publisher of a periodical may apply to the Press Registrar General to have the details of their certificate of registration amended or to have the title changed.
• A provision in the Bill establishes the “Press and Registration Appellate Board,” an appellate body to be named after the Press Council of India’s chairperson and two members to be chosen by the council from among its members.
• By streamlining the entire process of allocating title and registering periodicals through an online system that does not require a physical interface, the proposed legislation is based on the spirit of preserving media freedom and ease of doing business.
• Significantly, the publishers would no longer have to submit a declaration to the local authorities or the District Magistrate, or have it verified by them.
• Additionally, printing presses wouldn’t have to provide any kind of declaration—a printer’s notification would be adequate.
• It seeks to promote Digital India and make living and conducting business easier.
• In a democracy, the media is vital, and they shouldn’t be restricted in any way.
• In the Bill’s provisions, books are not covered by it; only periodicals and newspapers are.
• Critical Comments:
  • BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab stated that the Bill only includes provisions for print media, despite the fact that the media has experienced significant change. He wanted to know what policies the government was implementing regarding electronic and social media.
  • According to AIMIM’s Syed Imtiaz Jaleel, the Bill places more of an emphasis on regulation than on registration. He voiced his worry that the Bill might negatively affect press freedom.

Source: Newsonair

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