I&B Ministry
DD, AIR asked to focus on content than reach
NEW DELHI: The minister of state for information & broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said that Doordarshan and AIR need to establish connect with the people not only geographically but also focus on the content and programmes.
Speaking at the 28th State Information Ministers Conference here today, he also touched upon the activities carried out by media units and training institutes under the ministry.
Rathore said gathering and dissemination of information was a continuous process and centre and states need to come together to create an ecosystem that enabled informed citizenry.
Rathore said collaboration between states and Centre was the bedrock for good governance, and there was a need for moving forward together as Team India in scripting the development of the nation. Information dissemination and the analysis of the feedback was a critical component in the whole gamut of communication landscape.
The minister urged the states to set up film facilitation units in states to ease out film shooting permissions as well as ensure seamless movement of their equipment. In this context, he said the ministry is in the process of setting up a central portal for all such related permissions and welcomed states to also collaborate in this platform as a part of ease of doing business initiative.
I&B Ministry
Press Sewa Portal digitises 1.5 lakh records, streamlines periodical registrations: MIB
Online system spans 780 districts; Rs 5.6 crore penalties, 88,315 titles cancelled
NEW DELHI: India’s print media registry has quietly moved from dusty files to digital dashboards. The government has digitised more than 1.5 lakh historical records of newspapers and periodicals and shifted registrations fully online through the Press Sewa Portal.
Introduced under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, the portal now handles all applications for registering periodicals, replacing the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.
The digital shift brings a wide range of services onto a single platform. Publishers can now register new periodicals, revise registrations, transfer ownership, file annual statements, pay penalties online and apply for circulation verification without navigating government offices.
As part of the rollout, specified authorities in 780 districts across India have been onboarded onto the platform. Since 1 March 2024, the portal has processed 11,081 applications and issued certificates across different categories.
The transition has also brought stronger compliance. According to government data, Rs 5.63 crore in penalties has been collected through the portal so far. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh account for some of the largest penalty collections.
At the same time, the authorities have carried out a major clean-up of inactive or non-compliant publications. A total of 88,315 periodicals have been cancelled nationwide, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi among the states reporting the highest number of cancellations.
The government says the system will continue to evolve based on feedback from users. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) regularly reviews suggestions to improve services and make compliance easier for publishers.
The full list of registered newspapers and periodicals is available on the PRGI website under the Registered Titles section.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan, responding to a question from Damodar Agrawal.
