**Executive Summary**
The Press Sewa Portal is now the sole platform for all press registration services, digitizing over 1.5 lakh historical periodical records under the new Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023. This initiative aims to streamline processes such as new registrations, revisions, ownership transfers, annual statements, and penalty payments. As of March 1st, 2024, 11,081 applications have been processed, and the portal has onboarded 780 districts. The information was submitted to Lok Sabha on March 11th, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Digital Transformation of Services:**
* All applications for the registration of periodicals are now processed digitally through the Press Sewa Portal, as mandated by the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023.
* Physical records of newspaper registrations, created under the repealed Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867, have been digitized and integrated into the Press Sewa Portal.
* **Scope of Services Offered:**
* The portal facilitates services including the registration of new periodicals, revision of existing registrations, ownership transfer of periodicals, filing of Annual Statements, and online payment of penalties.
* Circulation verification of periodicals is also managed through the Press Sewa Portal.
* **Portal Implementation and Reach:**
* Specified Authorities from 780 districts have been onboarded onto the Press Sewa Portal.
* Since March 1st, 2024, 11,081 applications have been processed, and certificates have been issued across relevant categories.
* **Penalty and Cancellation Data:**
* Annexure-I provides a detailed list of penalties imposed and paid through the Press Sewa Portal as of February 27th, 2026.
* Annexure-II presents a state-wise breakdown of the number of periodicals that have been cancelled.
* **Continuous Improvement and Information Access:**
* The government actively assesses the impact of these initiatives.
* The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) continuously gathers feedback to improve services offered via the portal.
* A list of registered newspapers/periodicals is accessible on the PRGI's website (prgi.gov.in) under the "Registered Titles" tab.
**Impact Analysis**
**Periodical Publishers and Owners**
* **Impact:** Publishers and owners now need to interact with the Press Sewa Portal for all registration-related services, including new applications, revisions, ownership transfers, annual statements, and penalty payments. This digitisation aims to streamline these processes.
* **Action Required:** Ensure all relevant applications and filings are submitted through the Press Sewa Portal. Be aware of penalties that may be imposed and processed via the portal.
**Specified Authorities in Districts**
* **Impact:** These authorities are now integrated with and operating through the Press Sewa Portal for processing periodical registration services.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the Press Sewa Portal for all duties related to periodical registration and management as per the new Act.
**Ministry of Information & Broadcasting / Press Registrar General of India (PRGI)**
* **Impact:** The Ministry and PRGI are responsible for the implementation, management, and continuous improvement of the Press Sewa Portal and its services. They are also responsible for collecting feedback and analysing the portal's impact.
* **Action Required:** Continue to monitor portal performance, gather user feedback, and facilitate better services through the Press Sewa Portal. Maintain and update the list of registered newspapers/periodicals on the PRGI website.
**General Public / Stakeholders Interested in Periodical Data**
* **Impact:** Access to information on registered periodicals and cancellation data is now available through the PRGI website, offering a centralised source of information.
* **Action Required:** Consult the PRGI website for lists of registered titles and state-wise cancellation counts as needed.
Key Entities Referenced
Press Sewa Portal: A digital platform for processing all applications related to periodicals, including registration, revision, ownership transfer, and penalty payments.
Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023: The primary law governing the registration and processing of periodicals, with applications now handled through the Press Sewa Portal.
Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867: The former law under which physical records of newspaper registration were created; these records have now been digitized and integrated into the Press Sewa Portal.
Press Registrar General of India (PRGI): An entity that provides feedback and takes action to improve services offered through the Press Sewa Portal and maintains a list of registered newspapers/periodicals.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Indian Parliament, where information regarding the Press Sewa Portal and related data was submitted in a written reply.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
All Press Registration Services Now Online
through Press Sewa Portal; Over 1.5 Lakh
Periodical Records Digitized
Press Sewa Portal Onboards 780 Districts; Over ₹5 Crore
Penalties Imposed and 88,315 Publications Cancelled
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 5:59PM by PIB Delhi
As per Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, all applications for registration of
periodicals are processed digitally through Press Sewa Portal. Accordingly, all physical records of
registration of newspapers (more than 1.5 lakh) which were created under the Press and Registration of
Books (PRB) Act, 1867 (now repealed) have been digitized and made part of the Press Sewa Portal.
Currently, services such as registration of new periodicals, revision of registration of existing periodicals,
ownership transfer of periodicals, filing of Annual Statement, payment of penalty online, Circulation
Verification of Periodicals etc. are being processed through Press Sewa Portal. As part of the
implementation of the Act, Specified Authorities of 780 Districts have been onboarded on Press Sewa
Portal. Since 1st March 2024, 11,081 applications have been processed, and certificates have been issued
for relevant categories.
A detailed list of penalty imposed and paid through Press Sewa portal is attached at Annexure-I and a
detailed state-wise list of number of such periodicals that have been cancelled is attached at Annexure-II.
The Government continuously assesses impact of its various initiatives and programmes. Press Registrar
General of India (PRGI) continuously takes feedback and action to facilitate better services through the
portal.
The list of registered newspapers/periodicals is available on PRGI’s website i.e. https://prgi.gov.in/ under
“Registered Titles” tab under “Our Services” Head.
The information was submitted today in the Lok Sabha in a written reply to Shri. Damodar Agrawal by Dr.
L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs.
ANNEXURE-I As Mentioned in Reply to The Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3028 Regarding
‘Press Sewa Portal’ For Reply On 11.03.2026
Details of Penalty Imposed and Paid through Press Sewa Portal as on 27.02.2026
S.No. Publication State/UT Total Penalty Received Amount (Rs.)
1 Karnataka 52,74,0002 Odisha 9,20,000
3 Tamil Nadu 44,17,000
4 Haryana 4,72,000
5 Maharashtra 99,60,000
6 West Bengal 13,87,000
7 Delhi 37,92,000
8 Gujarat 37,59,000
9 Uttar Pradesh 44,08,000
10 Andhra Pradesh 30,72,000
11 Chhattisgarh 8,44,000
12 Madhya Pradesh 82,84,000
13 Kerala 17,39,000
14 Telangana 12,61,000
15 Punjab 8,33,000
16 Jammu and Kashmir 6,63,000
17 Rajasthan 26,77,000
18 Uttarakhand 8,68,000
19 Jharkhand 2,02,000
20 Bihar 5,09,000
21 Himachal Pradesh 1,12,000
22 Tripura 1,42,000
23 Chandigarh 1,50,00024 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 18,000
25 Assam 2,55,000
26 Nagaland 9,000
27 Sikkim 1,59,000
28 Goa 33,000
29 Mizoram 50,000
30 Puducherry 45,000
31 Manipur 51,000
32 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 9,000
33 Meghalaya 9,000
34 Arunachal Pradesh 0
Total Amount 5,63,83,000
ANNEXURE-II As Mentioned in Reply to The Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.3028
Regarding ‘Press Sewa Portal’ For Reply On 11.03.2026
Details of number of Cancelled Publication-State-wise
S.No. Publication State/UT Cancellation Count
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 69
2 Andhra Pradesh 2485
3 Arunachal Pradesh 12
4 Assam 612
5 Bihar 1703
6 Chandigarh 5347 Chhattisgarh 817
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 5
9 Delhi 11920
10 Goa 131
11 Gujarat 3539
12 Haryana 1854
13 Himachal Pradesh 289
14 Jammu and Kashmir 582
15 Jharkhand 325
16 Karnataka 5059
17 Kerala 3541
18 Lakshadweep 7
19 Madhya Pradesh 4806
20 Maharashtra 12403
21 Manipur 226
22 Meghalaya 87
23 Mizoram 163
24 Nagaland 17
25 Odisha 1723
26 Puducherry 125
27 Punjab 2481
28 Rajasthan 485129 Sikkim 51
30 Tamil Nadu 6443
31 Telangana 1962
32 Tripura 88
33 Uttar Pradesh 11987
34 Uttarakhand 1096
35 West Bengal 6322
Total 88,315
****
Mahesh Kumar/ Vivek Vishwash
(Release ID: 2238411) Visitor Counter : 262
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