The Government today notified the criteria for categorization of the approved newspapers for implementation of the new advertisement rates for each category of publications.The criteria has been uploaded on the official website of the Department of Information and Public Relations at http://www.jkdirinf.in/Upload/f25cc0fd-a8c7-40e5-bf33-810087e1e61e_criteria%20for%20categorization.pdf . The cut-off date for all the publications to meet the parameters laid down in the new criteria has been set 30th May 2018.All the approved newspapers and other periodicals in the State have been asked to furnish the updated information in the prescribed format (available on DIPR-JK official website) as per the new criteria by 15th June 2018 to facilitate their categorization on the merits of each publication. The requisite information can be mailed at [email protected] (for Kashmir division) and [email protected] (for Jammu division) or can be sent by courier or delivered by hand at the offices of the Joint Director Information Kashmir, Govt Press Complex, Budshah Chowk, Srinagar and Joint Director Information Jammu, Railhead, Jammu.The newspapers which fail to submit the requisite information within the prescribed time limit would be placed in the lowest category.
To ensure judicious and transparent distribution of advertisements to the newspapers and periodicals in the State, the Government is in the process of categorization of the approved publications in light of the guidelines laid down in Advertisement Policy-2016. The categorization of the newspapers has become imperative for the implementation of the new advertisement rate structure notified vide Govt Order No: 48-ID of 2017 dated: 23-11-2017 wherein around 50% hike has been announced in the official advertisement rates. The Government has considerably increased the Advertisement Budget from Rs 22 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 35 crore for 2018-19.Pertinently, 467 newspapers and periodicals including 271 in Jammu and 196 in Kashmir division are presently empaneled with DIPR for release of government advertisements.The Government has also constituted two separate sub-committees for Kashmir and Jammu divisions to review whether the newspapers and periodicals empaneled by DIPR meet the norms set out in the Advertisement Policy-2016 and recommend delisting of any approved newspaper violating the said Policy.The sub-committees have been vested with powers to recommend delisting of the approved newspapers and periodicals in light of the Provision 6.1 of the Advertisement Policy-2016, if these publications violate the said policy in any respect.