Amongst the Centre’s Bills to be introduced in the upcoming monsoon session, is the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill (RPP), 2019.
The Government of India (GoI) is preparing to revive the RPP Bill, 2019 which aims to regulate the digital news media industry for the first time. The law for the registration of media is set to replace the British-era Press and Registration of Books Act (PRB), 1867.
PRESS AND REGISTRATION OF BOOKS ACT (PRB), 1867
This Act was passed in the colonial era of British Empire after the first war of Independence in 1857. This 152-year-old Act was brought in to curb freedom of expression, through the press, during the revolt of 1857. The PRB Act was followed since the time India got its freedom up until 2019.
This Act was introduced to regulate the printing presses and newspapers for the preservation of copies of books and periodicals containing news printed in the whole of India and for the registration of such books and periodicals containing news. These words clearly point to news in any printed form and were designed to get access to every type of writing that was targeting the government.
Several news organisations that are registered according to the present legislation are not publishing and distributing the work widely and are taking advantage of their positions which could be given to others who are more active journalist and could avail such opportunity.
REGISTRATION OF PRESS AND PERIODICALS BILL (RPP), 2019
In 2019, the Centre had put out a draft of the bill that defined ‘news on digital media’ as “news in digitised format that can be transmitted over the internet, computer or mobile networks and includes text, audio, video and graphics” and proposed registration of the digital media news publishers with the Registrar of Newspapers of India.
The bill seeks to replace the 155 year old law – PRB Act, 1867, by decriminalisation of the existing Act, keeping the procedure of the extant Act simple from the viewpoint of medium/small publishers and uphold the values of Press Freedom.
The Information and Broadcasting ministry, will be the “administrative ministry”, and it has started the process to amend the RPP Bill to include “news on digital media through any electronic device”.
The ministry will have the power to act against publication for violations including suspending or cancelling registration and imposing penalties on the digital media houses for violating rules.
Till date, news websites did not have to register with the GoI. This bill is the first of its kind as once the Bill becomes an Act, digital news websites operating in India will be treated at par with newspapers, with the need to register with the Press Registrar General, equivalent to the prevalent Registrar of Newspapers in India.
This Bill is being prepared for a new registration regime for digital new media. Digital news publishers have to apply for registration and will be required to do so within 90 days of the law coming into effect. PRB will be discarding all such websites and social media accounts that serve as agents of fake news.
CONTROVERSY REGARDING THE NEW DIGITAL MEDIA BILL
Many are speculating that this could be a step to ‘control’ digital news media. On one hand the Press Registrar General who is empowered with the responsibility to revise Certification of Registration shall be bound by the decision of the Central Government in matters of Policy. The GoI will also be immune from the legal proceedings against it.
This development may ignite the debate around fundamental right of Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution. It might lead to various interpretations as its ambit looks broad such as posts put on social media or blogs, might also include e-newspapers of the existing newspaper.
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Sources: Bar and Bench, Economic Times