RS nod to bill to replace British-era Press and Registration of Books Act

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a bill to replace a British-era law governing publishing industry and simplify the process for registration of periodicals with the government.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, which was passed by a voice vote, will make the registration of periodicals a one-step process as against the eight-step process in the archaic law.

The bill replaces the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867.

Thakur said the previous law was brought by the Britishers, keeping in view their benefits but from 1867 to 2023 no one tried to liberate from this slave mentality. "This bill is simple, smarter and has a simultaneous process and would be online. Earlier to get newspapers or magazines had to pass through an eight-step process, which has been removed," he said.

The registration process will be time-bound, starting with an online application to be filed before the district magistrate and the Registrar of the Newspapers for India (RNI).

"If DM replies within 60 days, then RNI would issue a license considering it or will go ahead even without that if no reply comes from within that time frame," he said.

"Now you would not have to wait for 2 to 3 years but only for 2 months," said Thakur, adding that it would help small media organisations and journalists.

Besides, it has also eliminated the penal provision such as imprisonment for six months with penalties.

"Only in one case, when you start a newspaper/magazine without taking a license, then you would have six months imprisonment. Even in that case, we would first serve notice," he added.

"Those involved in terrorist activities or unlawful activities against the state will not be granted permission to start a paper or periodical," he said.

The new law also seeks to do away with two provisions that required the publishers and printers to file a declaration before the district magistrate.

It further seeks to do away with the penal provisions of the PRB Act which made improper declaration of information a punishable offence with a prison term of up to six months.

The new bill also provides for an appellate authority.

Currently, a person wanting to start a newspaper has to submit an application with the district collector, who sends it to RNI to check for title availability.

The registration process moves forward only after the RNI conveys the availability of the title to the collector, who then administers the oath to the person keen on starting the newspaper according to provisions of the PRB Act.

The new bill also seeks to move this process of checking title availability online, thereby reducing the time required for registration of newspapers and periodicals significantly.

He said the facsimile edition of a foreign periodical can be printed in India with prior approval of the Central Government and its registration with the Press Registrar General.

The bill envisages minimalistic role of the district magistrate/local authority with regard to grant of certificate of registration and title allotment.

The bill substantially decriminalises all violations under the statute except in the case where a periodical is published without obtaining Certificate of Registration.

Even after six months of issuance of direction by the Press Registrar General to stop the periodical, if the publisher does not cease that publication he would be liable for a punishment leading to imprisonment up to six months.

Initiating the debate on the bill, Sulta Dev of BJD said she supported the bill as it will ease the sector. However, she suggested regional representation of the appellate authority to have a better understanding and also that it should have provisions for mediation and add web channels under its ambit.

Pabitra Margherita of BJP said this bill will help the small and medium publishers to get all official processes smoothly while Niranjan Reddy of YSRCP said a large section of paid news is becoming a common feature of press reporting. He wanted to know whether the government would provide options in the forms in future while prescribing with regard to the percentage of paid news or amount collected of this M Thambidurai of AIDMK while supporting the bill shared his experience and the kind of difficulties he faced during his student leaders days to get a journal registered.

He also urged there is a need to control wrong information spread through social media apps.