I&B Ministry
Creation of good content vital with advent of new media: Rathore
NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore said today that the challenge as well as the opportunity would be to develop content and services for different platforms and consumers in view of the rapid changes in the information and communication technology and increasing number of smartphone users in India.
He said the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati was aware of the new challenges and would be constantly striving to keep pace with the new age technologies. The Minister also said the laws of the land should learn to keep pace with changing technology.
He complimented the Broadcast Engineering Society (BES) for their efforts and initiatives in bridging the gap between educational institutions and professional bodies.
Inaugurating the 22nd International Conference & Exhibition on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting BES EXPO 2016, he said it provided a unique platform and opportunity for participants and concerned stakeholders from across the world to share their ideas and experiences on the opportunities and challenges of the new age of digital broadcasting. He said that an idea would not be revolutionary if it remains dormant and BES EXPO 2016 provided an excellent forum to discuss these ideas and learn from each other.
Prasar Bharati Chairman A. Surya Prakash, CEO Jawhar Sircar, and I&B Special Secretary J S Mathur were also present on the occasion.
Mathur said BES EXPO, which is amongst the top five exhibitions in the Knowledge Hub category provided an excellent opportunity for the whole of the broadcasting industry to witness the new technology from across the world in India.
The winners of the awards instituted by the Broadcast Engineering Society in various categories such as training and innovation were felicitated.
The lifetime achievement award was conferred on M S H Baig for his outstanding contributions to the broadcasting industry. This year the society also conferred two special category awards to All India Radio for its Mobile App- ‘AIR Live’ and Doordarshan for its impactful coverage of Republic Day Parade, Independence Day, International Yoga Day and Ekta Diwas.
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.
