Friday, 22 December 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Lok Sabha passed by voice vote the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023 that replaced the earlier colonial era Press and Registration of Books Act 1867. The Rajya Sabha had alreay passed the bill during the monsoon session. Presenting the bill before the LS, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that it would usher in a new era marked by ease of doing business through simplification of periodical registration process. He said that now periodical registration is one-step process while under the colonial era act, it was an eight-step process, adding that earlier it took two to three years for registration while now it would be completed in just 60 days. Reiterating the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to the freedom of the press, he said that this act would ensure that the press functions in an environment that is attuned to the modern- day requirements.
