FAQs | Press Registrar General of India

1. What is the official name of the Act and when did it come into force?

The Act is officially known as the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023. It came into force on March 1, 2024.

2. Where does the Act apply?

The Act extends to the entire territory of India.

3. When did the Act receive the President's assent and get notified in the Official Gazette?

The Act received the President's assent on December 28, 2023, and was notified on December 29, 2023, in the Official Gazette.

4. What is the significance of the term "notification" in the Act?

In the context of the Act, "notification" means a notification published in the Gazette of India or the Official Gazette of a State. The expression "notify", with its grammatical variation and cognate expressions, shall be construed accordingly.

5. Who is the "Press Registrar General" as per the Act?

The "Press Registrar General" is an official appointed by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 5.

6. What is a "newspaper" under the Act?

The Act defines a "newspaper" as a periodical of loose-folded sheets, usually printed on newsprint, and brought out daily or at least once a week, containing information on current events, public news, or comments on public news.

7. What is the definition of "periodical" as per the Act?

A "periodical" is any publication, including a newspaper, which is published and printed at regular intervals, containing public news or comments on public news. However, it does not include a book or a journal of scientific, technical, and academic nature.

8. What does the term "publication" signify in the Act?

"Publication" means newspapers, magazines, journals, or newsletters printed periodically and published in India. It includes reproduction in electronic form or any syndication, facsimile edition, for public distribution or access.

9. What is a "facsimile edition" under the Act?

A "facsimile edition" of a periodical means an exact reproduction of the original edition of a foreign publication in English or an Indian language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

10. How does the Act define a "journal"?

According to the Act, a "journal" means a periodical publication, other than a magazine, which primarily carries academic, scientific, or technical content related to a particular discipline or profession.

1. What does the term 'Act' signify in the Press & Registration of Periodicals Rules, 2024?

The term 'Act' in these rules refers to the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023.

2. What is meant by the term 'Ministry' as per these rules?

The term 'Ministry' in these rules refers to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

3. What does the 'Press Sewa Portal' signify in the context of these rules?

The 'Press Sewa Portal' is the online portal, (www.presssewa.prgi.gov.in) developed by the Press Registrar General, for receiving applications, intimations and documents required under the Act. The portal carries instructions on - the format for the certificate of registration of a periodical; the annual statements that a periodical has to submit, guidelines for title allotment and other information pertaining to the Act/Rules.

4. 'Bharat Kosh' is the online service window of the Government of India for the applicants to deposit fees, fines, or other money into the Government Account.

The 'Press Sewa Portal' processes various applications and documents, including:

Intimation about the periodical by its printer
Registration of the facsimile edition of a foreign periodical
Application form by a publisher for obtaining a certificate of registration of a periodical
Application form for the revision of the certificate of registration
Application form for the transfer of ownership of the certificate of registration
Format of the certificate of registration of a periodical
Format of furnishing the annual statement by the publisher of a periodical
Guidelines for title allotment
Procedure for desk audit for the verification of circulation of a periodical

5. What is the significance of 'Bharat Kosh' in the context of these rules?

'Bharat Kosh' is the online service window of the Government of India for the applicants to deposit fees, fines, or other money into the Government Account.

6. How is the 'financial year' defined in these rules?

In these rules, the 'financial year' refers to the period beginning April 1 any one year and ending March 31 of the next year.

7. What does 'National Single Window System' (NSWS) signify in these rules?

'National Single Window System' (NSWS) is the digital platform of the Central Government (https://www.nsws.gov.in) to guide individuals about identifying and applying for various approvals, permissions, and registrations.

8. How are references to 'forms' interpreted in these rules?

All references to 'forms' in these rules should be understood as references to forms set out in the Press Sewa Portal.

9. What is the process a printer has to follow with regard to the Press and Registration Periodical Rules, 2024?

The printer of a periodical shall, within fifteen (15) days of starting a printing press of a periodical, send intimation to the Press Registrar General and the specified authority within whose jurisdiction the printing press is situated, on the Press Sewa Portal. The intimation should include the particulars and documents specified in the Press Sewa Portal.

What should a printer do if there are changes in the particulars mentioned in the intimation?

If any changes occur in the particulars mentioned in the intimation after its submission, the printer is required to inform the Press Registrar General and the specified authority about the changes. On Press Sewa Portal.

10. How should a printer handle changes in particulars that involve a change in the location of the printing press under a different specified authority's jurisdiction?

In cases where changes in particulars involve a change in the location of the printing press falling under the local jurisdiction of another specified authority, the printer should send a fresh intimation online on the Press Sewa Portal to the Press Registrar General and the new specified authority. Additionally, the printer must also inform the specified authority to whom the original intimation was sent.

Sign-up / Log-in on the Press Sewa Portal and Create Owner / Publisher Profile

1. What is Press Sewa Portal?

The Press Sewa Portal is the official online platform of the Press Registrar General used for receiving and processing various applications, intimations, and documents. These include:

Intimation by the printer of a periodical.
Registration of the facsimile edition of a foreign periodical.
Application by a publisher for obtaining a Certificate of Registration of a periodical.
Application for revision of an existing Certificate of Registration.
Application for transfer of ownership of a Certificate of Registration.
Submission of the annual statement by the publisher of a periodical.
Guidelines for title allotment.
Procedure for desk audit and verification of the circulation of a periodical.

2. How do I access the Press Sewa Portal?

You can access the Press Sewa Portal directly by visiting: https://presssewa.prgi.gov.in/#/Alternatively, you may visit the official website of the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) at https://prgi.gov.in/. On the top-right corner of the homepage, you will find a dedicated tab for the Press Sewa Portal, which will redirect you to the porta

3. How do I sign up on the Press Sewa Portal?

To register on the Press Sewa Portal, visit https://presssewa.prgi.gov.in/#/register and complete the sign-up by providing the required details, including:

User Type (Owner/Applicant, Printer/Keeper, Chartered Accountant (CA)).
Date of Birth or Date of Incorporation (in case the Owner or Printing Press is a non-individual entity).
Email ID and Mobile Number.
Password

4. Who can sign up on the Press Sewa Portal?

Owners / Applicants of a periodical
Printers / Keepers of a printing press
Chartered Accountants (CA)

Note: If the owner and the publisher of a periodical are different individuals, the publisher does not need to complete the sign-up process on the Press Sewa Portal. Instead, the owner will invite the publisher through their Press Sewa Portal account. The login credentials (user name & password) will be sent to the publisher via email, as specified by the owner while inviting the publisher.

5. How do I log in to the Press Sewa Portal and create the Owner’s/Applicant’s profile on the Press Sewa Portal?

Owners or applicants can log in to their Press Sewa Portal account using their login credentials at https://presssewa.prgi.gov.in/#/ .

After logging in, they should navigate to the Profile section located in the top-right corner of the page. Owners/Applicants are required to upload a profile photo (maximum size: 20 KB) and accurately fill in the following details:

Ownership Category (Individual or Non-Individual).
Category of Title (Newspaper / Other Periodical).
Details of the Owner.
Applicant Details (in case of non-individual ownership).
Details of the Nominee / secondary details.
Previous data mapping, if applicable (Mapping the registered title).

6. Which ownership category should I choose?

If the owner of a periodical is an individual person, you must select 'Individual' as the ownership category.

If the owner of the periodical is any of the following Association, Corporation, Educational Institution, Organization (Central Government), Organization (State Government), Partnership Firm, Private Limited Company, Public Firm, Registered Political Party, Society, Trust, or any similar non-individual entity - you must select 'Non-Individual' as the ownership category.

7. Which category of title should I choose?

If the owner of a periodical intends to start a newspaper, or already has a registered or verified newspaper title with PRGI, they must select “Newspaper” as the category of the title.

If the owner intends to start a magazine, or already has a registered or verified magazine with PRGI, they must select “Other Periodicals” as the category of the title.

Note: A newspaper is a periodical consisting of loose-folded sheets, usually printed on newsprint and issued daily or at least once a week, containing information on current events, public news, or commentary on public news.

Note: A periodical means any publication, including a newspaper, that is printed and published at regular intervals and contains public news or commentary on public news. It does not include a book, or a journal of scientific, technical, or academic nature.

8. What is an authorization letter and what is its format?

An authorization letter is a document that must be uploaded by the applicant in cases of non-individual ownership. It serves as a formal declaration stating that the owner of the non-individual (company/organization) authorizes the designated individual to act as the applicant for the specified periodical.

The authorization letter should be issued on the official letterhead of the company/organization and must clearly mention the following details:

The name of the owner (company/organization).
The name of the authorized applicant.
The periodical/title for which authorization is granted.
A statement confirming the applicant’s authority to act on behalf of the owner.
The signature of the authorized signatory.

9. What is Previous Data Mapping and how do I map my title?

Previous Data Mapping is the process of mapping or linking to your profile a periodical or title that is already registered with PRGI.

Please follow the step-by-step process to map your registered title on the Press Sewa Portal:

Visit the Press Sewa Portal at https://presssewa.prgi.gov.in/#/
Log in to your account (If you do not have an account, complete the Sign-Up process first).
Navigate to the Profile section and select Previous Data Mapping.
Search for your registration details using either the Owner’s Name or Registration number.
Once your title appears, select and click on Registration.
Upload a scanned copy of your Certificate of Registration to complete the mapping process.

Note: If you do not have any periodical/title already registered with PRGI, you may skip this section and proceed directly to filling in the details of your periodical.

Note: You are requested to exercise caution while mapping your registered title. Kindly verify all details of the periodical carefully — such as Title, Registration Number, Owner’s Name, and other relevant information — before confirming.

Note: If you have applied for and obtained registration of your periodical through the Press Sewa Portal, you are not required to map the title to your profile.

10. Who is Nominee/Secondary Applicant on the Press Sewa Portal?

A Nominee/Secondary Applicant is an individual whose details must be provided during the profile creation process and the nominee’s information will be used solely for the purpose of sharing login credentials in the event of the owner’s demise.

Note:

The nominee will not be considered the new owner of the periodical.
In the event of the owner’s death, the official process of ownership transfer must still be followed separately, as per the prescribed guidelines of PRGI.