I&B Ministry
Govt urges TV and radio channels to publicise ‘Swachhta’ campaign
NEW DELHI: Private television and FM channels and radio stations have been requested to give adequate attention to the ‘Swachhta ki Seva’ campaign launched by the prime minister Narendra Modi in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast on 27 August 2017.
“Keeping in view the public interest and importance of the matter,” the ministry of information and broadcasting has requested the media to “build the idea of the campaign in their programming so as to bring the message home to the maximum viewers.”
In his broadcast on All-India Radio, Modi had called upon the nation to undertake the SHS campaign from 15 September 2017, culminating on Gandhi Jayanti, that is, on 2 October 2017.
The aim of the campaign, he said, was to intensify the focus on cleanliness and create an environment of cleanliness across the country in the spirit of a ‘Jan Andolan’ (public movement).
The ministry, in its request, said: “(The) media has a strong social and cultural impact on (the) society because of its inherent ability to reach out (to) a large number of people in the shortest possible time. (The) media, therefore, can play an important role in building public opinion and awareness in favour of the campaign.”
The request was sent to seven different organisations of TV, FM and community radio channels. These are: News Broadcasters Association (NBA), the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (lBF), Association of Regional Television Broadcasters of India, Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), Community Radio Association (CRA), Federation of Community Radio Stations (FCRS), and Community Radio Forum 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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
