(Updated as on 17.5.2024)

The Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867 and The Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956 governed the regulation of printing presses and newspapers printed in India and registration of books and newspapers till 29.2.2024.

With the notification of the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Rules, 2024 with effect from 1.3.2024, the registration and publication of periodicals (which includes newspapers) and the manner of furnishing intimation by printing presses will be governed by the PRP Act, 2023. Also, the PRB Act, 1867 stands repealed after the coming into force of the PRP Act.

The PRP act provides for the appointment of a Press Registrar General of India to carry out the purposes under the Act. The Press Registrar appointed under the PRB Act has taken over as the Press Registrar General. Under the PRP Act, the office of the Registrar of Newspapers of India (RNI) has been renamed as the Office of the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI).

The following FAQ is published for the benefit and guidance of all stakeholders.

61. My CA is not visible in the CA list.

This means that your CA has not yet registered themself on the Press Sewa Portal. You can request your CA to create a profile on the portal. Once the CA makes the profile, the user can select his CA from the drop-down provided in the Annual statement form.

62. How does the Press Registrar General verify the application, and what happens if deficiencies are identified?

The Press Registrar General verifies the application for completeness, payment of fees, adherence to guidelines, and other necessary particulars. Within seven working days of receiving the application, and any further time specified under sub-rule (4), deficiencies, if any, are communicated to the publisher through online communication on the Press Sewa Portal. The publisher has thirty (30) days to rectify these deficiencies. 

63. Who has to file annexure with annual statement?

Annexure X is to be filed by those publications only that have a periodical with daily periodicity.

64. What is the process after the publisher submits details addressing the deficiencies, and what happens if deficiencies are not rectified?

After receiving details from the publisher to rectify deficiencies, the Press Registrar General processes the application. If deficiencies are not removed within thirty days, the application may be rejected. 

65. Who can file the annual statement?

  1. Per the PRP Act 2023, only the publisher can file the annual statement. If the owner and publisher are the same person, the owner can proceed with filing the Annual statement. If the publisher and owner are different, then the owner will have to invite the publisher to file the annual statement.
  2. If the ownership is of a non-individual type, and the publisher and the applicant (on behalf of the owner) are the same, then the applicant/ publisher can file the statement. But if the publisher is different from the applicant, then the applicant will have to invite the publisher to file the annual statement.

66. How is the Certificate of Registration issued, and what role does the specified authority play?

The Press Registrar General, after considering comments from the Specified Authority, guidelines, and being satisfied with the application, issues a Certificate of Registration to the publisher in the format specified on the Press Sewa Portal. A copy is also sent to the Specified Authority from the Press Sewa Portal. 

67. My E-sign fails everytime before recieving the OTP.

This error comes when there is no mobile number linked with Aadhar card. To check the verified mobile number try downloading eAdhar card from the UIDAI website. If the Aadhar number does not have a mobile number associated with it, the UIDAI site will also show the error

68. What happens if the Press Registrar General decides not to grant registration, and what steps can the publisher take in that cases?

If the Press Registrar General decides not to grant registration, an online communication is issued to the publisher, specifying the reasons. The publisher has ten days to submit a reply on the Press Sewa Portal. The Press Registrar General, after considering the reply, may either grant or refuse registration. If registration is refused, a speaking order, specifying the grounds, is sent to the publisher on the Press Sewa Portal.