Rajya Sabha Passes Press And Registration Of Periodicals Bill, Prohibits Person Convicted For Offence Against State Security From Publishing

The Rajya Sabha passed the Press And Registration Of Periodicals Bill, 2023 today. It seeks to repeal the existing Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.

According to the Statement of Object and Reason, the 1867 Act was a pre-independence archaic law that is not in sync with the current media landscape. Hence, “it was considered necessary to repeal and reenact the Act to be more contemporaneous.”

It is stated that the proposed legislation is based “on the spirit of upholding media freedom and ease of doing business by making the entire process of allotment of title and registration of periodicals simple and simultaneous”, through an online system without the requirement of any physical interface, which would be fast tracked by the Press Registrar General.

Every printer of a “periodical” shall furnish an intimation in the online portal to the Press Registrar General and the specified authority within whose local jurisdiction his printing press is situated, the Bill provided.

“Periodical” is defined as any publication, including a newspaper, which is published and printed at regular intervals containing public news or comments on public news.The definition specifically excludes a book, or a journal including a book or journal of scientific, technical and academic nature.

The Bill states that a person convicted for “an offence involving terrorist act or unlawful activity” or “for having done anything against the security of the State” cannot publish a periodical.

It explains that “terrorist act" and "unlawful activity" shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in clauses (k) and (o) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The Bill also adds the requirement of taking prior approval of the Central Government for publication of facsimile edition of foreign periodicals in India.

It empowers the Press Registrar General to impose penalties for publishing periodicals without registration up to Rs. 5 Lakh and for failing to furnish annual statement within the specified time, up to Rs 20,000 on first default.

Click Here To Read The Bill