Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting has said that the Registrar of Newspapers (RNI) had initiated several measures to mainstream transparency in its functioning inviting overwhelming response from the stakeholders of the print industry. The Publication ‘Press in India’ which the Minster released today presented a model example of Press and Media freedom to other Democracies across the world. While the Press in India had grown exponentially, the challenge before the press was also to lay down the contours of being responsible in their functioning. The Minister stated this while delivering his address at the release function of Press in India 2013-14.
Elaborating further, Shri Javadekar said that in its endeavor to use technology prolifically, RNI had initiated several measures such as Online e-filing of Annual Statements, Quick disposal of title applications and registration cases, Creation of e-mail and mobile number database of publishers and owners, Automatic SMS intimation, SMS for status of registeration, Online public query responses and information and facilitation counters, initiation of e-filing of the Annual Statements of the registered publications. Shri Javadekar appreciated these steps in the field of adopting technology on the occasion of releasing the 58th Annual Report on Print Media compiled by Registrar of Newspapers for India entitled “Press in India 2013-14”.
The report prepared on the basis of analysis of the annual statements filed by the registered publications provides broad analysis of the general trend of the Indian Press.The report also carries different Chapters viz. ownership of newspapers, analysis of daily newspapers, language wise study of the press and analysis of registered newspapers.It is also a compilation of the circulation figures as claimed by the publications. A statutory obligation under the Press & Registration of Books Act 1867, the Report is presented annually by the RNI. According to the Report, the print media registered a growth of 5.95% over the previous year as a total of 5642 new publications were registered during 2013- 14. Out of the total 99660, publications registered as on 31st March, 2014, the largest number of newspapers and periodicals registered in any Indian language were in Hindi with a figure of 40,159. English had the second largest number of newspapers and periodicals which was 13,138. The total claimed circulation of newspapers stood at 45,05,86,212 as against 40,50,37,930 copies in 2012- 13. The number of Annual statements received in RNI for the year 2013- 14 was 19,755 against 19,007 in 2012-13 registering an increase of 3.93%.