I&B Ministry
Lack of cooperation among Prasar Bharati divisions led to avoidable complications: MIB audit
NEW DELHI: “The lack of co-operation among divisions of Prasar Bharati has led to several court cases and it is suggested that a centralised Cadre Controlling Authority may be set up to handle the service matters of the entire employees of Prasar Bharati.”
Making this observation, the Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said after a Test Audit/Check of Non-Plan expenditure under Salary and Salary-related heads against the Grants-in-Aid released by the Ministry, “Separate bank accounts may be opened for Non-Plan Grants-In-Aid (Salary) and other heads. A comprehensive audit of Prasar Bharati units may be conducted by Prasar Bharati itself to have a complete and fair picture of their accounts/ expenditures.”
The audit of amounts released for salary and salary-related expenses showed that while the grants-in-aid of Rs 5381.98 crore was given by the Ministry from 2012 to 2015, the expenditure incurred on Salary and Salary-related expenses was Rs 5694.92 crore and Rs 312.94 crore was from Prasar Bharati’s Internal and Budgetary Resources (IEBR).
In this, the grant-in-aid in 2014-15 was Rs 2001.98 crore while the money for salaries and salary-related expenses was Rs 2033.70 crore and Rs 31.72 crore came from IEBR.
The internal audit helped to save Rs 1188.14 crore under various heads including long-pending dues from other government departments.
In all, grants-in aid amounting to Rs 6640.48 crores was released in the last three years to Prasar Bharati, of which Rs 2437.98 crore was during the year 2014-15.
Of the total Rs 6640.48 crore given in the last three years, the aid in 2012-13 was Rx 2062.5 crore and in 2013-14 was Rs 2140 crore.
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.
