Ministry of Information and Broadcast to bring e-papers and digital news under its purview

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has prepared a draft Bill titled RPP Bill, 2019 to replace the existing PRB Act, 1867.
• The bill proposes to bring e-papers and digital media news under MIB’s purview.
• The bill also recommends having a simple system of registration for e-papers and enables the Government to frame rules for issuing Government ads in newspapers.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcast (MIB) has proposed a draft to replace Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867 with Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill 2019. Under the new Bill, MIB proposes to bring e-papers and digital news under its purview.

The Bill also proposes to do away with the existing procedure of furnishing of declaration by publishers or printers before the District Magistrate and its subsequent authentication.

If passed, it would enable the Central Government and the State Government to frame rules and regulate the conditions for issuing Government advertisements in newspapers, accreditation of newspapers and such other facilities for newspapers.

It further proposes to have a simple system of registration of e-papers. The process of title and registration of periodicals including newspapers is also proposed to be effected centrally by the Press Registrar General.