New Press and Registration of Books bill referred to Parliamentary Committee

NEW DELHI: The Bill to amend and consolidate the laws relating to press and registration of books and publications which would make entry of foreign magazines into the country "hassle free" has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology.

The Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 16 December, was referred to the Committee early this year.

The Press and Registration of Books Bill 2011 seeks to convert into law various executive orders that have followed as a result of the review of the Print Media Policy of 1955 to keep pace with the phenomenal growth and changes in the media sector.

The Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 had been amended several times since its inception to 1983, but the existing provisions were still not adequate to cater to the fast changes in the media scene.

The Government said the Print Media Policy of 1955 had undergone many changes after liberalisation of the country. For example, this policy earlier prohibited bringing out of foreign publications in India, but today the print media was attracting foreign direct investment and there was wide availability of foreign scientific and technical magazines in the country.

Therefore, the policy had been reviewed from time to time and the issues of FDI, facsimile editions, Indian editions of foreign newspapers and syndication were now being regulated through executive orders which need to be supported with statutory provisions "to elicit optimum results and hassle free entry of foreign publications," according to the ?Statement of Objects and Reasons? appended to the Bill.