I&B Ministry
Govt attempts arm twisting Ten Sports
NEW DELHI: Even as information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is slated to meet prime minister A B Vajpayee this evening on the issue of Indo-Pakistan cricket telecast, the government this afternoon issued veiled threats to Dubai-based Ten Sports exhorting it “to rise above commercial considerations.”
“We understand that there are commercial considerations involved, but for an event of this magnitude and importance, (Indian) public interest should ALSO be kept above everything. Private broadcasters should rise above commercial considerations,” India’s information and broadcasting ministry secretary Pawan Chopra told journalists on the sidelines of unveiling of a reference handbook for the forthcoming general elections.
Though it may be termed posturing on the part of the government, Chopra pointed out that the government is still trying its best to “resolve” the cricket issue. For a better effect, he said, “Keeping the long term interest of the private players, they should relent. After all, they have to continue doing business here (in India).”
Chopra said that had the Convergence Communications Bill (pending a Parliament okay) been enacted into a law,clauses in it would have taken care of such turn of events where terrestrial rights to DD would have become mandatory.
The issue of cricket telecast is threatening to blow into a political issue in the run up to the general elections as Ten Sports, the global telecast rights holder for all cricket matches to be played under the aegis of the Pakistan Cricket Board, till date has refused to bow under pressure from Doordarshan to share the terrestrial feeds of the matches with it. Being the host nation, Pakistan’s state-controlled broadcaster PTV will have the terrestrial telecast rights in Pakistan. All India Radio has managed to buy the broadcast rights for the matches from Ten.
The issue has come to a head with cable operators — not backed by some big multi-system operators —yesterday making it clear that they would be unable to show the cricket matches on Ten Sports as the channel is asking for a massive hike in connectivity, which would result in a huge amount of money as outflow.
Asked by indiantelevision.com whether the government could recommend to the President to promulgate an executive order making it mandatory for telecast feeds of events of national importance to be given to the national/public service broadcaster (Doordarshan), Chopra said, “The issue (of Ordinance) is not in my hand.”
Asked what the government would do if the matter doesn’t get resolved, Chopra said, “Wait and watch.”
Meanwhile, government sources indicated that the Prasad-PM meet may dwell on the cricket issue and, if need be, the issue may be discussed between the two countries at the highest level.
Two days back, India’s external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha is understood to have spoken to his Pakistani counterpart on the issue of telecast feeds being made to available to DD also. The effect of this on the Pakistani side is still not known.
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.
