The Centre has okayed amending the 143-year-old Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which still guides publication of newspapers and magazines and registration of their titles.
The Centre has okayed amending the 143-year-old Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which still guides publication of newspapers and magazines and registration of their titles.
A Union cabinet meeting approved on Thursday the comprehensive Press and Registration of Books and Publications Bill, 2010, which relates mostly to the print media and will cover internet editions of newspapers and have provisions to govern foreign news content and investment, information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Ambika Soni said.
The bill will have a provision to prevent persons convicted of terrorist and unlawful activities from registering a title or bringing out a publication. “There was no such provision in the earlier law,” Soni said.
All those registering titles for new publications will now have to publish newspapers or magazines within a stipulated time and file annual statements, failing which they will face punitive actions ranging from fine to imprisonment. There will be strict monitoring to ensure publications are brought out regularly as per the registered periodicity.
This apart, the bill will deal sternly with those who block titles without actually bringing out a publication, and limit foreign news content and foreign investment.
I&B secretary Raghu Menon said the bill was necessitated by the phenomenal growth in the publishing industry. There are over 70,000 publications presently that need to be regulated, he said.
“The bill will streamline the process of title verification and prevent squatters on titles which have been blocked for years,” Menon said.
On FDI limit, he said some guidelines and executive orders already existed and the bill would only provide “statutory backing to the guidelines”.
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