PRESS COMMISSION

OF INDIA
 Introduction
• During the post Independence days in1947,a new era in India slowly came in which the
role of press changed in India. The press laws in India had suffered major setbacks
during the British regime which had left Indian media with an outdated regulatory
framework , concentrated media ownership , limited vernacular press , widespread
censorship and pre- censorship and restricted regional coverage.
• The government of the independent India realizing the importance of a free media
with good professional ethics and a comprehensive legal framework for regulating the
media sector , appointed the Press Commission .
• The main aim of the commission was to make a comprehensive enquiry into the state
of press in India and examine issues associated with it like Freedom of press, standards
of journalism , working conditions of journalists , press regulations , regional press etc
• With all the initiatives independent Indian aimed to redefine the role of media in a
democracy and aligning the Indian Media with the aims and objectives set out in the
Constitution .
 FIRST PRESS
COMMISSION OF INDIA
 Important Points
• Constituted on 23 Sep 1952.
• Chairman - Justice J.S. Rajadhayakshaya
• Report Submitted - 14thJuly, 1954
 Recommendations
1. Establishment of Press Council to protect the freedom of the press and to maintain
high standards of journalism
2. Appointment of the Registrar of Newspaper for India ( RNI) to prepare the account of
the press and its position of every year
3. Price-page schedule should be introduced.
4. Constitute a Press Consultative Committee for the purpose of maintaining a cordial
relationship between the government and the Press
5. Working Journalists Act should be implemented.
6. Establishment of a fact-finding Committee to evaluate the financial position of the
newspapers and news agencies
7. Constitution of a Newspaper Financial Corporation for protecting the main principles
of the freedom of the press and to help the newspapers against monopolistic
tendencies
8. Conversion of Press Trust of India ( PTI ) into a public Corporation .
 OUTCOMES
• THE PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA was established on July 4, 1966which started functioning
from November 16 on this date, National Press Day is celebrated 1966
• To prepare the account of the press and the position of every year, there should be
appointment of the Registrar of Newspaper for India RNI). It was also accepted and in
July 1956, RNI was appointed
• Price-page schedule - It was also accepted in 1956.
• Press Consultative Committee - It was accepted and a Press Consultative Committee was
constituted on 22nd September 1962.
• Working Journalists Act - In 1955 The Working Journalist And Other Newspaper
Employees Conditions Of Services And Miscellaneous Provisions Act was enacted .
• Fact-Finding Committee - It was accepted and on 14hApril 1972, a Fact Finding
Committee was set up which submitted its report on 14th January 1975.
• Newspaper Financial Corporation - It was accepted in principle and on December 1970,
a Bill was also presented in the Lok Sabha, but it lapsed .
Second Press
Commission
• The Government of India constituted a Second Press Commission in
1978 after the internal emergency in the country was lifted.
• Chairman of Justice PC Goswami .
• However the Justice Goswami led commission resigned in January,
1980 after change of government.
• Thereafter the new government reconstituted the second Press
Commission under the chairmanship of of Justice KK Mathew on 21st
April, 1980.
• Its mandate was to examine the ownership patterns , management
practices and financial structures of the press.
• The commission submitted its report on 03rd April, 1982
 Recommendations
1. An attempt should be made to establish a cordial relation between
the government and the press . It emphasized that the press should
neither be an adversary nor an unquestioning ally to the government.
2. MRTP to be made applicable to newspapers- Monoplies and
Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1969
 3 . Advertisements
• The misuse of the image of the advertisement should be discontinued
• The government should prepare a stable Advertisement Policy
• There should be a fixed proportion of news and advertisements in
small, medium and big newspaper.
 4. Structural Changes
• Establishment of Newspaper Development Commission- For the
development of small and medium newspaper.
• Newspaper industries should be separated from industries and
commercial interests
• Suggested to Ammend the Constitution and specifically mention
press freedom .
• Called the press council to develop a code of ethics for journalists .
 5. Other Important
Recommendations
• There should be appointment of Board of Trustees between editors
and proprietors of the newspaper
• Price-page schedule should be introduced
• Newspaper industries should be relieved from the impact of foreign
capital
• No predictions should be published in newspapers and magazines
• The Press Information Bureau should be reconstituted
• Press laws should be amended.
• Editors should have a final say in accepting or rejecting newspapers
• The Press should reflect the aspirations and problems of the people
and widely accessible to them.
• The Commission said that for development to take place internal
stability was as important as safeguarding national security.
• It also highlighted the role of the press in preventing and deflating
communal conflict the positive role of the press in bringing together
diverse communal conflict.
• The positive role of the press in bringing together diverse elements in
the nation’s life was as important as the avoidance of objectionable or
communal writing.
• The Commission recommended that the Press Council of India should
be given statutory power to recommend actions against the
newspapers which consistently violated the Council’s ruling.
 Conclusion
• Both Press Commissions of India included several respectable
members from the press which made various recommendations for
the betterment of the press in India. The recommendation of the
First Press Commission for the first time provides idea of what a
responsible press should be. The Second Press Commission
formulated in a clear manner that development should be the central
focus of the press in a country, which is building itself to become a
self-reliant and prosperous society. The commission declared that a
responsible press could also be a free press and vice versa. Freedom
and responsibility are complimentary but not contradictory terms .