Strengthening its verification and review mechanisms, the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) declared 1,02,092 periodicals defunct during the financial year 2024-25. According to the information and broadcasting ministry‘s annual report, these publications had either ceased operations or failed to submit the mandatory annual statements required under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023.
The report, seen by Indian Printer & Publisher, noted that the exercise aimed to ensure the National Register of Periodicals accurately reflects only active and compliant publications. Additionally, registrations for approximately 205 publications were cancelled, while 2,296 were reactivated, based on information provided by state authorities.
The PRGI described the large-scale review as a step toward maintaining the authenticity and integrity of India’s media database. The clean-up, it said, will support government policy-making, media research, and resource allocation within the print sector.
Under Section 12(1) of the PRP Act, 2023, every registered periodical must file its annual statement with the Press Registrar General by 31 May each year. However, Section 12(2) allows publishers unable to meet the deadline due to unforeseen circumstances—to seek approval for an extension, provided the statement is submitted no later than 31 December of the same calendar year. For 2023-24, a total of 36,369 periodicals submitted their annual statements.
Besides identifying defunct publications, the PRGI reported steady growth and modernization in new registrations. As of 31 December 2024, PRGI’s database had 154,362 periodicals. During 2024-25, 4,499 new or revised registrations were processed.
Strict circulation verification for periodicals
Under the PRP Act, 2023, verifying the circulation of periodicals through desk audits has become a statutory duty of the Press Registrar General.
The subsequent Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules, 2024, require circulation verification for daily newspapers with an average circulation of 25,000 copies or more per day in each of the last two financial years that are empanelled with the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) for central government advertisements.
Daily newspapers with similar circulation levels that seek empanelment with the CBC also need verification. Apart from these two, any other periodical identified for verification by the PRGI, based on written reasons supported by information, references, or complaints.
To verify circulation, the PRGI or an authorized central government officer conducts a desk audit of the publisher’s latest annual statement to determine actual circulation figures. Physical inspections of documents and records at the publisher’s office or printing press are conducted wherever necessary. To ensure uniformity and transparency, a standard operating procedure for circulation verification has been issued.
According to the report, during 2024-25, the PRGI focused on enabling a smooth transition to the new digital framework introduced under the PRP Act, 2023, which replaced the 19th-century Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
The new law ushered in a paperless, transparent, and time-bound online registration system for publishers and editors. Through extensive outreach, workshops, and coordination with state governments and district magistrates, the PRGI ensured broad awareness and compliance with the modernized system, the report said.
