The draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2019

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered: About the draft bill

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News Flash

The draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2019, put out by the ministry of information and broadcasting.

• The draft seeks to replace the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867, that governs the print and publishing industry in the country.

 

Key Highlights

• The publishers of news on digital media shall register themselves with the Registrar of Newspapers for India in such manner and giving such particulars as may be prescribed in draft.
• It’s not clear whether the Bill applies only to web versions of print publications or to digital-only news sites as well
• The confusion arises as the word “publication” has been defined in the draft as “anything which is printed on paper and is meant for public distribution including periodicals, newspapers and books”.
• The draft legislation also proposes to remove the provisions of imprisonment of publishers and to simplify the registration process by instituting a Press Registrar General.

 

Criticism

• Many see this as an attack on the freedom of the internet and digital-only news websites.
• They said, Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression while being governed by other applicable laws that maintain public order, decency, and morality.

 

Confusion

It is important to know if these regulations would be extended to digital media such as blogs, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and, basically, anybody who expresses an opinion on current affairs online.

 

Registrar of Newspaper

Registrar of Newspapers is a statutory body of the information and broadcasting ministry of the government of India, for the registration of publications such as newspapers and magazines, which regulates and monitors their printing and publication based on the PRB Act and the Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956.

 

Important Information

Recently, the Union cabinet had approved 26% foreign direct investment (FDI) in digital media. The move which was seen as restrictive by media industry experts as until then there was no clarity on FDI in digital news websites and there have been several in India with 100% foreign investment.

 

Source: Livemint

 

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