I&B Ministry
Around ninety violations of Programme and Advertising Codes since 2013: Rathore
NEW DELHI: Action was taken in 88 cases since 2013 to ensure compliance with or against violation of the Proigramme and Advertising Codes by private television channels.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Rajya Sabha today that this included thirteen cases of advisories issues to all news or general entertainment channels on issues like depiction of children, showing of road accident cases, urging channels to use sign language in Republic Day broadcasts, advisories about specific advertisements, showng films with displaying the Central Board of Film Certification certificate, telecast of anti-terrorist operations by security forces etc.
There were 32 cases of violation in 2013, 22 in 2014, 23 in 2015 and eleven so far this year, the Mihister said.
Amiong these, those channels which figure more than once in the list include Manoranjan TV, Colors, FTV, DY365, NTV, Comedy Central, and Raj News.
indiantelevision.com had earlier this week reported that there were a total of 49 complaints since 2013 – four in 2016 – for vulgarity in advertisements.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
