I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati to get budgetary support of over 10 billion
NEW DELHI: Contrary to expectations, the government has marginally increased its financial support to Prasar Bharati (translated in English as the Broadcasting Corporation of India), which is an indication that such support would continue for some time to come.
In the budgetary proposal for financial year 2005-06, the government grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati stands at Rs 10.0961 billion, while last year the revised estimates for the same was Rs 10 billion.
The loan component, which is given to finance Prasar Bharati’s capital expenditure, has been raised quite sharply to Rs 1.75 billion in contrast to Rs 9.1 million last year.
The grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, is given by the government to cover the gap in resources of the organisation in meeting its revenue expenditure.
Meanwhile, the annual budgetary allocation for the information and broadcasting ministry has gone up marginally from Rs 15.14 million to Rs 16.03 million.
In the run-up to the making of the Budget, it had been reported that the government was proposing slashing the grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharati as it wants the organisation to generate revenue to try and bridge the gap between expenditure and earnings.
After taking over in May last, I&B minister Jaipal Reddy has been saying that Prasar Bharati should explore other avenues of raising revenue. The minister had also let loose a proposal to levy a one time cess of TV and radio sets in the country to fund Prasar Bharati. This idea has not gone down too well with some political parties as well as TV set manufacturers.
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the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.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.
