I&B Ministry
Permission to 126 TV channels remains cancelled even as total of permitted channels rises to 869
New Delhi, 10 March: While the total number of satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India has risen by twelve to 869 in the past month, the number of channels to whom permission had been cancelled remains 126.
Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 995 channels which included those whose permissions were cancelled later.
Of the permitted channels, 402 are news and current affairs channels while 467 are general entertainment channels until 29 February.
Unlike previous times, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has not uploaded details of the twelve new channels that have been permitted during February.
Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country.
A total of 755 channels including 375 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 94 including 79 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
