I&B Ministry
Prasad produces performance report card at the Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: The government has taken several initiatives to bring about changes in the entertainment sector in the interest of the overall development of this sector.
Access to institutional and bank financing has been facilitated for the entertainment industry, including films, foreign direct investment policy for the film sector has been liberalised and international visibility has been afforded to Indian films by participation in global markets.
This was stated by I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian parliament).
Apart from these, in order to suggest a policy framework for the entertainment industry, both at the centre and the States, a committee for development of the entertainment sector has been set up.
The committee had given its first set of recommendations which, including a recommendation to fix a ceiling of 60 per cent on entertainment tax, were circulated among the States and many State Governments have lowered their entertainment tax rates. An anti piracy training programme was also organised for police officers based on the recommendations of the committee, which is expected to be the precursor of many such training programmes.
In its recent meetings, the committee has made recommendations, mainly relating to a further reduction in entertainment tax rates, appointment of a nodal officer in each State assisting in anti-piracy matters and facilitating a single point clearance by State Governments for foreign film crews shooting in India. The second set of recommendations of the committee have also been persuasively circulated to state governments.
In order to bring about a receptive investment regime in the entertainment sector, within India, a committee has recently been set up to suggest a strategy to facilitate the flow of venture capital into the sector, the minister said.
The government had also constituted a committee to make recommendations for radio broadcasting. The executive summary of this committee’s report may be seen on the ministry’s website at www.mib.nic.in.
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.
