I&B Ministry
Government rejects dismantling of autonomous Prasar Bharati
NEW DELHI: A section of the government today ruled out dismantling of the autonomous Prasar Bharati as has been demanded by the organisation’s employees’ union.
Though information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy today refused to comment on the demand of the union, but sources in the ministry indicated that such ludicrous demands would not be entertained.
“There would be no rollback of Prasar Bharati,” a senior official of the I&B ministry said, adding that some of the demands of the employees’ union are being looked into.
Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, was formally given shape by Reddy only when he was the I&B minister in the United Front government in the late 1990s.
Employees of Prasar Bharati had demanded an immediate repeal of the Prasar Bharati Act as it was “totally unviable” in the present form and exhorted the government to take them back into government fold (with privileges that come attached with a government service, of course).
Members of the National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees (NFADE) met the Prime Minister on 13 August with its demands. Later, the union claimed that assurances of setting up a group of ministers (GoM) were given by the PM.
According to NFADE chairman Robin Dasgupta, the government could not disown the employees of Prasar Bharati.
He also suggested that Prasar Bharati should be made into a constitutional body like the Supreme Court and Election Commission as it would ensure financial support to the body from the Consolidated Fund of India.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
