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Few changes will make New

Press Bill more media friendly

The draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2019, needs to be an improvement on the PRB Act
1867 and not a restrictive new enactment, says Delhi Press owner paresh nath in a draft note

he draft Registration of Press in the preamble and introduction made terms for newspaper, he said, “In the bill
and Periodicals Bill, 2019, put it clear that the purpose of the existing there are many terms used for ‘news-
out by the ministry of infor- Act was to collect the printed works in paper’ and it may lead to confusion and
mation and broadcasting in India and preserve them, said the head denial of many rights to the users of
T November, should talk about of Delhi Press, the group which created newspapers.
the registration and not “regulation” a stir in the magazine publishing scene On confusing terminologies in the
because the word regulation has many of India. new Bill, Paresh Nath said, “Heading of
hidden meanings and can be used to “The citizens want the enactment of Part IV uses the term ‘periodical’ along
curb the freedom of speech and expres- a law on press to give legitimacy to the with Registration. In Section 6 the head-
sion, one of the country’s vibrant and press and give a platform that will enable ing is only regarding ‘periodical’. We can
long-running magazine publishers has the owners of newspapers to perform in go on with these anomalies in the bill
pointed out. exercising their rights under the Consti- regarding terms used for ‘newspaper’
Delhi Press chief Paresh Nath also tution,” Paresh Nath said in a draft of the and request that ONLY one term be used
highlighted that the bill does not en- Note to be sent to the Ministry of Infor- which is being used in scores of enact-
hance the freedom of speech and expres- mation and Broadcasting. ments like Post Office Act, Railways Act,
sion but it is definitely an improvement “We propose that the preamble to the Newsprint Control Order, General Goods
on the bill on the subject presented to new proposed Act talks about the regis- and Services Act, Press Council Act etc.
the public in 2009, 2011 and 2013 which tration and not “regulation” because the Any change in this term is bound to lead
lapsed after the end of 14th Lok Sabha in word regulation has many hidden mean- to intense litigation everywhere. It can
2014. ings and can be used to curb the freedom be avoided by the use of age old term
“The bill lacks the spirit of Press and of speech and expression,” he added. ‘newspaper’.”
Registration of Books Act of 1867 where- Highlighting the use of confusing The draft Registration of Press and

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