I&B Ministry
Ministries urged to come on social media through I&B Ministry’s Communication Hub
NEW DELHI: All Central Ministries have been requested by Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to disseminate their policy initiatives through the Communication Hub under the existing New Media Wing of his Ministry.
Firmly believing in prolific use of social media, the Minister wrote to his Cabinet colleagues for utilising this Communication Hub as a one-stop place for social media outreach based on Hub and Spoke model.
In his letter, he said each Ministry or/Department may liaise with the New Media Wing which will cater to all its needs such as disseminating information through packaging and placing of content, wider reach through variety of tools and response management.
He said the two-way interaction envisaged in this endeavour would provide a 360 degree communication approach to the government and hence help in last man connectivity.
He informed that the directive was in adherence to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wanted to use the social media platforms extensively for transparency and better governance.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
