The new Press and Registration of Books and Publications Act that will replace the Press and Registration of Book Act, 1867, will not only cover newspapers, magazines and journals but also their internet editions, news websites and even newsletters that were hitherto exempted from registration.
For the first time in India, the new law also ventures into prescribing contents of the publication -- it will have provisions to limit the syndicated foreign news content. It also seeks to address the contentious issue of the foreign investments in the Indian media.
The Act is billed to streamline the age-old processes for registration and verification of newspapers and to lay down a new print media policy. There will be detailed verification of a title of a publication and statutory provisions for verification of circulation and filing of annual statements by the publishers.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters that any persons registering newspapers but not bringing them out in a stipulated period will also be dealt with under the new law thus discouraging non-serious
Noting that there has been a phenomenal growth in the publishing industry in recent years with over 70,000 publications coming out, I&B secretary Raghu Menon said the Bill will streamline the process of title verification and prevent "squatters" on titles which have been blocked for many years and no publication brought out.
The Act proposes that the publication should be brought out within one year of allotment of title and maintain the periodicity for which the title has been obtained, and thereafter there should be regular submission of annual statements.
"There have been a number of guidelines and executive orders on the Foreign Direct Investment limit, facsimile editions, scientific, technical and other specialised journals. But these have had no statutory backing. This Bill will now provide the legal backing to these guidelines," Menon said.
There is, however, no change in the FDI limits on the newspaper industry.
