Centre proposes bill to regulate digital news websites
ডিজিটাল নিউজ ওয়েবসাইট পরিচালনায় কেন্দ্রের নয়া বিল

November 29: Currently no digital news or current affairs website in India has to “register” with the government or follow any rules or regulations other than what are normally applicable for any form of speech or expression. At present, there are tens of thousands of them, since even blogs and social media pages which carry news or opinion would be considered publishers of news on digital media. However, things are going to change as the union government is contemplating to bring digital media under its purview.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has proposed changes to the archaic, colonial-era Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867, which will make it mandatory for digital news sites to register themselves with the Registrar of Newspapers of India in “such manner and giving such particulars as may be prescribed.”

Section 18 of the provisions of the draft Registration of Press and Periodical (RPP) Bill, 2019 – released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday – stipulates:“The publishers of news on Digital Media shall register themselves with the Registrar of Newspapers of India in such manner and giving such particulars as may be prescribed.”

However it is not clear if the proposed regulations will cover only the “e-newspapers” of existing newspapers and magazines – i.e. the digital version of the printed copy, usually in PDF – or will include standalone news websites.

Registrar of Newspapers is a statutory body of the information and broadcasting ministry of the government of India, for the registration of publications such as newspapers and magazines, which regulates and monitors their printing and publication based on the PRB Act and the Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956.

Among other things, the draft legislation also proposes to remove the provisions of imprisonment of publishers and to simplify the registration process by instituting a Press Registrar General. The Bill also enables the Central and state governments to frame rules to regulate the criteria and conditions for issuing government advertisements in newspapers, accreditation of newspapers and other facilities.