Current Affairs

PRESS & REGISTRATION OF PERIODICALS ACT (PRP ACT), 2023

TAG: GS 2: POLITY

THE CONTEXT: The Government of India has notified the historic Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023 and its Rules in its Gazette and consequently the Act has come into force from 1st March, 2024.

EXPLANATION:

From now on, the registration of periodicals shall be governed by the provisions of the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules.
As per the notification, the office of Press Registrar General of India – PRGI (erstwhile Registrar of Newspapers for India – RNI) shall be carrying out the purposes of the new Act.

Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023:

The new Act removes the procedural obstacles involving multiple approvals at various stages for starting a newspaper/printed publication in India.

PRB Act, 1867	PRP Act, 2023
The 1867 Act provides for the registration of newspapers, periodicals, and books. It also provides for the cataloguing of books.	The 2023 Act provides for the registration of periodicals, which include any publication containing public news or comments on public news. Periodicals do not include books or scientific and academic journals.
The 1867 Act provides that a declaration specifying the printer/publisher be made to the DM. The DM sends the declaration to the Press Registrar, who then issues a certificate of registration. Making such declaration and authentication by the DM is necessary for the publication of the newspaper.	The 2023 Act allows the publisher of a periodical to obtain a registration certificate by filing an online application with the Press Registrar General (PRG) and specified local authority. A person who has been convicted of a terrorist act or unlawful activity, or has acted against the security of the State will not be allowed to publish a periodical.
The 1867 Act requires a printing press to be declared before the DM.	The PRP Act, 2023 allows for information regarding printing presses to be submitted through an online portal.

Appellate authority:

The new Bill also provides for an appellate authority.
The Appellate Board (Press and Registration Appellate Board) will comprise the Chairperson, Press Council of India (PCI), and two members of PCI to hear an appeal against refusal of grant of registration, imposition of any penalty or suspension/cancellation of registration by PRG.
Such appeals may be filed before the Press and Registration Appellate Board within 60 days.

Press Council of India (PCI):

The PCI was first set up in 1966 by the parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission under the chairmanship of Justice J.R Mudholkar.
The present council functions under the Press Council Act 1978.
- It is an act to establish a Press Council for the purpose of preserving the freedom of the Press and of maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.
It is a statutory, quasi-judicial body that acts as a watchdog of the press in India.

SOURCE: https://newsonair.gov.in/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=478321#:~:text=The%20Government%20has%20notified%20the,other%20periodicals%20in%20the%20country

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