New Delhi (PTI), Nov 25, 2015 – The government will not register digital media as per the colonial law. This law governs registration of periodicals.
After receiving objections, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry proposed that registration of digital media be included in amendments to the Press and Registration of Books Act (1867). However, it is likely to abandon the proposal.
“We are reviewing that proposal. Registration of digital media may not be there in the final version,” the official said.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, at a media event, had said that the government planned to amend the PRB Act that dated back to the colonial era as part of its efforts aimed at “ease of doing business” in the media sector.
“Starting a newspaper was a cumbersome task. It was a tedious task to visit the offices of Delhi District Magistrate and other Delhi offices. The entire process will be conducted online, I can assure you. If it takes about four months to register a newspaper, it will happen within seven days,” Thakur said.
He stated that the government had not taken on the regulation of digital and print media.
“Be it digital or print, we have left it for self-regulation. Although newspapers publish news with authenticity, social media poses a problem. We are treating this issue with utmost caution as we have to strike a fine balance in this regard,” Thakur said.
The proposed amendments of the PRB Act state that the government intends to move registration of periodicals, newspapers, and periodicals to a portal. It also plans to make it digitally possible to check for availability of newspaper titles.
A person who wants to start a newspaper must first submit an application to the district collector. Then, the RNI Registrar of Newspapers in India (RNI), will verify title availability.
After the RNI transmits the title’s availability to the collector, the collector administers the oath and registers the individual who wants to start a newspaper according to the PRB Act. PTI SKU SMN
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