The government may introduce the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2022, in Parliament during the coming Monsoon session, in order to replace the old Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867. The Bill proposes registration of digital media.
In 2019, the Centre had circulated a draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill. Defining “news on digital media” as the news in digitised format that could be be transmitted over the Internet, computer or mobile networks and included text, audio, video and graphics, it proposed registration of the digital media news publishers with the Registrar of Newspapers of India.
Apart from laying down a “simple system” of registration of e-papers, the Bill proposed removal of certain existing provisions related to the registration of books and connected matters.
It also did away with the existing procedure of furnishing of declaration by publishers/printers before the District Magistrate and its subsequent authentication.
“The process of title and registration of periodicals, including newspapers, is proposed to be effected centrally by the Press Registrar General as a simultaneous process. The Bill enables the Central government and the State government to frame appropriate rules/regulations to regulate the criteria/conditions for issuing Government advertisements in newspapers, accreditation of newspapers and such other facilities for newspapers,” an Information & Broadcasting Ministry statement had then said.
