India’s new Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act) is now in effect (as of March 1, 2024). This law governs how periodicals register and replaces the old system. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) will oversee the new process.
The new Act provides for an online system for facilitating the registration of newspapers and other periodicals in the country. The new system replaces the existing manual, cumbersome processes involving multiple steps and approvals at various stages which were causing unnecessary hardships to the publishers.
Earlier, Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, had launched the Press Sewa Portal, the online portal of the Press Registrar General, for receiving various applications as mandated by the new Act.
All applications, including the intimation by the printer of a periodical, application for registration of facsimile edition of a foreign periodical, application by a publisher for obtaining a certificate of registration of a periodical, application for revision of certificate of registration, application for transfer of ownership of periodicals, furnishing annual statement by the publisher of a periodical, and procedure for desk audit for verification of circulation of a periodical will be online through the Press Sewa Portal.
The Press Sewa Portal ensures paperless processing and offers services with e-sign facility, digital payment gateway, QR code-based digital certificates for instant download, online system for providing intimation by printing presses, percentage of probability for title availability, online access to registration data for all publishers, filing of annual statements, among others. It also intends to put in place a chatbot-based interactive grievance resolution mechanism. The Press Sewa portal is accompanied by a new website with all the related information and a user-friendly interface.
As per the new Act, all applications for registration of periodicals shall be made in online mode through the Press Sewa Portal only. deficiency communication, if warranted. The Publishers are required to submit their responses within a 30-day timeframe. Failure to adhere to this specified period will result in rejection of the application.