I&B Ministry
Russian delegation visits I&B ministry to discuss cooperation in the sphere of media
MUMBAI: A Russian Delegation led by the Russian Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, H.E Alexey Volin, including the Ambassador of Russian Federation to India, H.E. Nikolay Kudashev and other delegates met Ministry of I&B secretary Amit Khare on Friday.
It was mutually agreed during the meeting that an Annual Indo-Russian Forum for Media Cooperation be organized alternately in India and Russia in order to institutionalize the process of cooperation between the two countries in the media and entertainment sector. Television, news agencies, digital distribution platforms, new media, news gathering, co-production of programmes, sharing of content and exchange of professionals were identified as possible areas of collaboration.
The need to forge strong connections between the young journalists of the two countries was also highlighted in the meeting.
During the discussion, Amit Khare stated that the Golden Jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of India scheduled to be held later this year offers an opportunity to countries to showcase their creativity and cinematic excellence on a global platform. He extended an invitation to the Russian Delegation to participate in the Festival.
H.E. Alexey Volin talked about the immense popularity of Indian films in Russia and mentioned about a 24-hour channel dedicated solely to Indian films, currently operational in Russia.
The meeting was also attended by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, CEO, Prasar Bharati; Sitanshu Kar, Principal DG, PIB; Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary, Ministry of I&B; Supriya Sahu, DG, Doordarshan; F. Shehryar, DG, All India Radio; Mayank Agrawal, DG, DD News; Chaitanya Prasad, Addl. DG, Directorate of Film Festivals and JP Mattu Singh, Addl. DG, AIR News.
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.
