Over ₹5.63 crore penalty imposed on periodicals, 88,315 publications cancelled: I&B Ministry

Over ₹5.63 crore as penalty was imposed on periodicals and paid through Press Sewa Portal as on February 27, and 88,315 publications across the country have been cancelled, according to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

In a written reply to a question by Lok Sabha Member Damodar Agrawal, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan on Wednesday (March 11, 2026) said as per the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 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of newspapers (more than 1.5 lakh) which were created under the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867 (now repealed) have been digitised and made part of Press Sewa Portal,” he said.

“As part of the implementation of the Act, Specified Authorities of 780 districts have been onboarded on Press Sewa Portal. Since March 1, 2024, 11,081 applications have been processed, and certificates have been issued for relevant categories,” said the Union Minister.