I&B Ministry
Paradigms of media have expanded vastly with new media coming in: Jaitley
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was given additional charge of Information and Broadcasting Ministry, today said the paradigms of information have expanded with the steady growth of electronic, print and digital media in the country.
He said the information scenario had changed drastically since the days when the only sources of information were Doordarshan and All India Radio.
Currently, the media landscape has seen unprecedented growth within the radio and new media streams.
He was speaking to the media after taking charge of his new portfolio. Earlier, he held a meeting with senior officials of the Ministry.
In his interaction with the media, Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who has become the Minister of State for I&B, said he would strive to fulfill the responsibilities given to him.
Meanwhile, former I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted “I enjoyed thoroughly working as MOS (IC) for I&B and MOS for Parliament Affairs; I handed over these charge with great satisfaction.”
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
