New Delhi. The Government of India is all set to bring in legislation to regulate the Press and Registration of Journals Bill, 2019. Under whose scope the digital news media industry will also be included for the first time. Through this, the cabinet has proposed to bring digital news portals at par with newspapers.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday released a list of bills to be introduced and passed in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. The most important of them is the Press Registration Periodicals Bill, 2022. Through this bill, the government is trying to replace the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867, which covers newspapers and printing presses in India.

According to sources, the cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi can soon approve this bill. Detailed discussions have already been held with various stakeholders regarding this Bill. As of now there is no process to register digital news portals like newspapers. But the Bill now proposes to register digital news portals with the Press Registrar General, equivalent to the Registrar of Newspapers in India.

A provision is being made that now digital news publishers will have to apply for registration within 90 days of the law coming into force. This is the first time that some special rules will be made for digital media in India. If this Press Registration Periodicals Bill, 2022 is approved, then digital media will be governed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. After the rise of some big controversies related to digital media in recent times, this step of the government is being considered as an attempt to bring digital media under the purview of the rules.