I&B Ministry
53 TV channels, six teleports’ licences up for renewal in ’17
NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has conveyed to all TV channels and teleports that licenses for uplink and/or downlink expiring in 2017 should be renewed six months prior to the expiry date.
The MIB communication to TV channel and teleports, dated December 16, 2016 and posted on the ministry website on December 20, 2016 stated, “Permission-holding companies, whose initial period of permission for uplinking and/or downlinking of TV channels and setting up of teleports is going to expire during 2017 and which are willing to get the permission renewed beyond its initial period are required to apply for the same six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period.”
The government also clarified that TV channels who have not applied six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period, the December MIB note may be “treated as 21 days notice” and the government would take it that the permission-holder was not interested in further extension after which the government was free to take “further necessary action”.
MIB has put out a list of 53 TV channels and six teleports whose licenses expire at various times during 2017.
The companies are required to apply for renewal of license along with relevant documents, including details of the company, shareholding patterns and foreign investments, for various government organizations like MIB and Ministry of Home Affairs to scrutinize the documents for renewal of licenses. Renewal will also depend on companies concerned agreeing to and updated guidelines relating to uplink and downlink.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
