I&B Ministry
Roadmap soon on converting IIMC into Communication University: Javadekar
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said steps are being initiated shortly to upgrade the Indian Institute of Mass Communication into a ‘Communication University.’
A roadmap would be prepared soon by the Ministry, he said, inviting suggestions from the public especially the young generation.
Javadekar said a specific corner would be developed on the I&B Ministry’s website for these suggestions to be placed for the perusal of the Ministry. The entire process was part of the Prime Minister’s Communication Vision which laid emphasis on ‘Participative Communication’- a process which linked the key stakeholders including the media fraternity.
The Minister stated this while delivering the address at the 47th Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and the launch of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Institute in Delhi.
Javadekar said press freedom came with an element of responsibility. Throughout history, the responsibility of the press had been flagged on different occasions. He exhorted the students who were conferred diplomas to avoid sensationalism at all costs and fight the menace of paid news. A young journalist ought to work with passion, compassion in a mission mode without commission. He called upon the students to balance information taking into account the sourcing of information from different media sources which included new and traditional media streams. These aspects would lay down the architectural framework for ethical journalism in the future.
He called upon the IIMC to undertake studies to understand the different aspects of elections related to the communication process and the electoral system. The Minister also unveiled the new logo to commemorate the golden jubilee celebrations of IIMC. He inaugurated the new bilingual website of IIMC.
IIMC has the distinction of being universally recognised as a centre of excellence in the field of journalism, media and mass communication teaching, training and research. A total of 341 students were conferred with their Diplomas at this Convocation which included students from six Centres of IIMC, at New Delhi and Dhenkanal, as well as at the newly opened Regional Centres at Aizawl in Mizoram, Amravati in Maharashtra, Jammu in J&K and Kottayam in Kerala. The PG Diploma courses were conferred in Journalism Hindi and English, Advertising& Public Relations, Oriya Journalism and Urdu Journalism. Special awards were also conferred in different categories to 31 students across all courses.
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.
