THE REGISTRATION OF NEWSPAPERS (CENTRAL) RULES, 1956 

·        (RELEVANT AMENDMENTS ARE ALREADY INCORPORATED IN THESE RULES) 

                In exercise of the powers conferred by section 20-A of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 (25 of 1867), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely: - 

1. Short title and commencement. - (1) These rules may be called the Registration of Newspaper (Central) Rules, 1956. 

(2) They shall come into force on the 1st day of July, 1956. 

2. Definitions. —In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires. — 

(a)    “Act” means the Press and Registration of books Act, 1867;

(b)   “Form” means a Form specified in the Schedule in these rules;

(c)    “Publisher” means the publisher of a newspaper. 

3. Form of declaration. —Every declaration made under section 5 of the Act shall be in Form I and the person making the declaration shall give full and true particulars therein. 

2[4. Transmission of copies of declaration, etc., to the person concerned and to the Press Registrar. —A copy of every declaration attested by the Official Seal of a Magistrate and a copy of every order refusing to authenticate any declaration shall be sent by the Magistrate to the person making and subscribing the declaration and to the Press Registrar by registered post: 

Provided that in the case of a person making and subscribing the declaration, any such copy may be delivered to him personally if he is present at the time when the attestation is made or, as the case may be, the order of refusal is passed.] 

5. Delivery of copies of newspaper to the Press Registrar. -- (1) Every publisher shall within 48 hours of the publication of an issue of his newspaper, send to the Press Registrar one copy of the issue by post or by a messenger: 

Provided that where any newspaper publishers more than one edition under the same declaration and the retail selling price charged for, or the number of pages contained in, an issue of any such edition is different from an issue of any other edition, one copy of the issue of each such edition shall also in like manner be sent to the Press Registrar. 

(2)  For the purpose of sub-rule(1)-- 

(a) copies of the issues of newspapers published in Hindi, Urdu or English and of newspapers published in two languages, one of which is Hindi, Urdu or English, shall be sent to the Press Registrar in 3[Simla]. 

(b)  copies of the issues of newspapers published in any of the regional languages specified in column I below shall be sent to the Officer incharge of the Regional Office of the Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, at the place specified in the corresponding entry in column II and the officer shall take delivery of such newspaper on behalf of the Press Registrar:--

_______________________________________________________________________________

1.      Vide S.R.O 1519 dated, 22nd June, 1956.

2.      Subs. by G.S.R. 1222, dated 5th October, 1960.

3.      Subs. by G.S.R. 1059, dated 29th August, 1960. 

I                                                                                   II 

Punjabi                                                                                 Jullundar

1[Bengali                                                                               Calcutta

Oriya                                                                                   Cuttack

Assamese                                                                            Gauhati]

2[Tamil                                                                                 Madras

Telugu                                                                                 Hyderabad]

Malayalam                                                                            3[Trivandrum]

Marathi                                                                                Bombay

Gujarati                                                                               4[Ahmedabad]

Kannada                                                                              Bangalore

5[Konkani                                                                             Bombay

Portuguese                                                                          Bombay]

6[Kashmiri                                                                             Srinagar]; 

(c) copies of the issues of newspapers published in any other language shall be sent to the Press Registrar in 2[Simla]. 

6.Annual Statement.-- 7(1) Every publisher shall, in respect of the newspaper or each of his newspaper, furnish to the Press Registrar an annual statement relating to each financial year in Form II containing the particulars specified therein, so as to reach the Press Registrar on or before the last day of May of the following year. 

7 NOTE. —The annual statement to be furnished by each publisher for the period from 1st January, 2002 to 31st March, 2002 has been waived off, in view of the amended cycle of the annual statement.” 

(2) Whenever there is a change in the retail selling price of a newspaper as furnished in any statement, the publisher shall, within 48 hours of such change, send intimation thereof the Press Registrar. 

7. Maintenance of the Register. -- (1) The Press Registrar shall maintain a Register of Newspapers in Form III. 

(2) The pages of the Register shall be numbered consecutively and entries in respect of a newspaper shall start from a fresh page.  When particulars enumerated in Form I have been entered in the Register in respect of newspaper, the Press Registrar shall allot a registration number to that newspaper, Initial entries in the Register and subsequent changes, if any, shall be duly authenticated under the signature of the Press Registrar.

(3) The Press Registrar shall, in respect of every newspaper, cause relevant entries to be made in the Register and before making any entry therein, he may make such verification of the statement furnished to him by the newspaper as he may consider necessary.

____________­­­­­­__________________________­­­­­­__________________________­­­­­­_____ 

1.      Subs. by S.R.O. 1971, dated 7th June, 1957.

2.      Subs. by G.S.R 1059, dated 29th August, 1960.

3.      Subs. by G.S.R 721, dated 14th April, 1970.

4.      Subs. by G.S.R 723, dated 17th April, 1963 (w.e.f. 1-5-1963).

5.      Added by G.S.R. 1809, dated 16th November, 1963.

6.      Added by G.S.R 1872, dated 13th December, 1965.

7.      Subs. By G.S.R.241, dated 29th June, 2002.

 

                8. Particulars to be published in every newspaper.-- 1[(1)] The publisher shall publish in every issue of his newspaper the retail selling price of each copy, or, when there is no such selling price, shall publish in an appropriate place that it is for free distribution.  The publisher shall also publish in the first issue after the last day of February of each year the particulars specified in Form IV. 

                2[(2) Every copy of every newspaper shall have printed legibly on it the names of the printer, publisher, owner and editor and the place of its printing and publication in the following form:               

Printed by______________ and published by ______________ on behalf of _______ (name of owner) _______________ and printed at _____________ (place of printing) ______________ and published at _________________ (place of publication)________________Editor ___________________. 

                NOTE. —This form may be modified to suit the circumstances of each paper, for example, where the printer, publisher and owner are the same the imprint line can be: Printed, published, and owned by ______________.  The editor’s name, however, should be given separately in every case.] 

                9. Furnishing of extracts from the Register. —The Press Registrar shall, on an application made to him in writing and on payment of 3[a fee of five rupees] in respect of each newspaper, furnish to the applicant extracts from the Register duly certified by him. 

                10. Certificate of Registration.-- (1) Where a publisher makes a declaration before a Magistrate, the Press Registrar shall, as soon as practicable, after receipt of the copy of the declaration, issue to the publisher a certificate of registration in Form V.

                (2) On receipt of information furnished by the publisher of a newspaper and upon allotting under rule 7(2) a registration number to that newspaper, the Press Registrar may also issue to the publisher a certificate of registration in Form V. 

                4[(3) Whenever there is any change in the particulars mentioned in the Certificate of Registration issued under sub-rule (1) or sub-rule (2), the publisher shall, as soon as may be, send intimation of such change to the Press Registrar and also return to him such Certificate; and on receipt of such information and certificate, the Press Registrar shall cause the relevant entries to be made in the Register and re-issue the Certificate with the changes. 

                (4) The Certificate of registration shall cease to be effective as soon as the declaration under which the newspaper is published becomes void or a newspaper is removed from the Register of Newspapers maintained by the Press Registrar.] 

                5[11. Annual Report.—The Press Registrar shall submit to the Central Government on or before the 31st December of each year, an annual report containing information and statistics about the Press in India, and in particular, circulation trends in different categories of newspapers and the trends in the direction of common ownership of more than one newspaper.]

____________________________________________________________________________ 

1.      Renumbered by G.S.R. 1222, dated 5th October, 1960.

2.      Ins. by G.S.R 1222, dated 5th October, 1960.

3.      Subs. by G.S.R. 16, dated 4th February, 1958.

4.      Ins. by G.S.R. 16, dated 4th February, 1958.

5.      Sub. by Notification No.4/9/68 Coord/G.S.R. dated 7th October, 1969 and G.S.R.241 dated 29th June 2002.

1[12 Penalty. —A contravention of any of the provisions of these rules shall be punishable, with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees.]

 

SCHEDULE

2[Form of Declaration

FORM I

(See Rule 3)

 

I _______________ declare that I am the *printer or *publisher or *printer and publisher of the newspaper entitled _______ to be *printed at ________ and *published or to be *printed and published at _________ and that particulars in respect of the said newspaper given hereunder are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

1.                  Title of the newspaper.

2.                  Language (s) in which it is (to be), published.

3.                  Periodicity of its publication.

(a)                Whether a daily, tri-weekly, bi-weekly, weekly fortnightly, or otherwise.

(b)               In the case of a daily, please state whether it is a morning of evening newspaper?

(c)                In the case of a newspaper other than a daily, please state the days(s)/date(s) on which it is (to be) published. 

4.                  Retail selling price of the newspaper per copy.

(a)                If the newspaper is for free distribution, please state that it is “for free distribution”.

(b)               If it has only an annual subscription and no retail price, please state the annual subscription.

5.               Publisher’s name.

Nationality.

3[(a) Whether a citizen of India?

  (b) If a foreigner, please state the country of origin.]

Address.

6.       Place of publication (please give the complete postal address).

7.            Printer’s name.

Nationality.

3[(a) Whether a citizen of India

(b) If a foreigner, please state the country of origin.

                        Address.

            4[8.Name(s) of the printing press(es) where the newspaper is actually printed and the  true and precise description of the premises on which the press (es) is/are installed.]

            9.       Editor’s name.

                      Nationality.

                     3[(a) Whether a citizen of India?

(b)If a foreigner, please state the country of origin.]

Address

______________________________________________________________________________

1.                  Ins. by G.S.R. 304, dated 26th February, 1966 and Subs. by G.S.R.241 dated 29th June, 2002.

2.                  Subs. by G.S.R. 16, dated 4th February, 1958.

3.                  Ins. by G.S.R. 823, dated 12th March, 1969.

4.         Subs. by G.S.R. 1687, dated 17th October, 1963.

 

10.    Owner’s name (s). 

(a)                Please state the particulars of individual(s) or of the firm, Joint Stock Company, trust, co-operative society or association which owns the newspaper.

(b)               Please state whether the owner owns any other newspaper, and, if so, its name, periodicity, language and place of publication. 

1.      Please state whether the declaration is in respect of— 

(a)    a new newspaper, or

(b)   an existing newspaper,

(c)    in case the declaration falls under item (b), the reason for filing the fresh declaration. 

 

Date __________________       Signature _____________________

                                                  Name (in block letters)____________

                                                   Designation___________________ 

·        Strike out whatever is not applicable. 

NOTE. —Separate declaration should be filed by the printer and the publisher, unless the printer and the publisher is the same person.]

 

FORM II

[See Rule 6(1)] 

1[Annual Statement in respect of the newspaper entitled _______________ for the period ending 31st March, 200____

Serial

No.

Items

Details of

Particulars

Particulars of changes, if any, during the year with date(s) changes

Remarks

1

2

3

4

5

 

                               ‘A’- GENERAL

1.                  Declaration under which the newspaper is published.

2.                  Registration number of the newspaper . . . . . .

3.                  Title of the newspaper . . . . . . . . .

4.                  Language (s) in which the newspaper is published

5.                  Periodicity of its publication: 

(a)           whether a daily, tri-weekly, bi-weekly, weekly,

fortnightly or otherwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b)          in the case of a daily, please state whether it is a

morning or evening newspaper . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c)      in the case of newspaper other than a daily,

         please state the day(s)/date(s) on which it is

         published .   .

___________________________________________________________________

1. Subs. by G.S.R. 16, dated 4th February, 1958 and G.S.R. 241 dated 29th June 2002

1

2

3

4

5

 

 

 

 

 

6.

Publisher’s Name .   .  .  .  .   

Nationality .  .  .  .  .   

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ? 

(b) If a foreigner, please  state the country of origin]

Address .  .  .  .  . 

 

 

 

7.

Place of publication (please give the complete postal address)…

 

 

 

8.

Printer’s Name .  .  .  .

Nationality .  .  .  .  . 

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ?

(b) If a foreigner please state the country of origin]

Address .  .  .  .  

 

 

 

9.

Name(s) of the printing press(es) where printing a conducted and the true and precise description of the premises on which the press(es) is/are installed .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 

10.

Editor’s Name .  .  .  .  . 

Nationality .  .  .  .  . 

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ? .  .  .  . 

(b) If a foreigner, please state the country of origin]

Address .  .  .  . 

 

 

 

11

(a)    Size of the page of the newspaper in 2[metres] and its description, e.g., demy, crown, etc.

(b)    Average number of pages per week in respect of daily, bi-weekly, tri-weekly and weekly news-papers.

(c)    Average number of pages per issue in respect of other newspapers .  .  .  .  . 

 

 

 

 

 

ÂApr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Total

2.     NumberofDaysof Publication        in 2[the] year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I, …………………………….. hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the      (Name in block letters)        best of my knowledge and belief. 

Date ………………………..         Signature of the Publisher ……………

________________________________

1.       Ins. by G.S.R. 823, dated 12th March, 1969.

2.      Subs. by G.S.R. 85, dated 5th January, 1963.

3.      Sub. By G.S.R. 241 dated 29th June, 2002. 


’B’ – CIRCULATION

April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

* Half-yearly average

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar

* Half-yearly average

3.      (a)Average number of copies printed per             publishing day

      (b) If the newspaper is not        published daily, please state the number of days on which             the newspaper was published during a month and the number of copies printed on each of these days. 

4.      Average number of copies sold per publishing Day …..

5.    Average number of copies distributed free per Publishing day (including complimentary, Voucher, exchange, bonus, sample and office Copies) .   .   . 

6.    Retail selling price per copy;

(a)  if the newspaper is for free distribution,

please state that it is “for free distribution”. 

     (b)if it has only an annual subscription and no             retail price, please state the actual subscription .  .  .  .  .                                                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 _____________________________________

* Half-yearly average should be calculated on the basis of the total number of days of publication during the period.

1[Publisher’s declaration 

            I, ………………………….. (Name in block letters) publisher of …………… do hereby declare that the particulars shown in the statement set forth above are true and correct to the best of my information, knowledge and belief.

Date……………….                                                                                                   Signature of publisher …………….. 

·        Certificate by Chartered Accountant 2[***] 

We have examined the books and accounts of …………(Name of paper)………… for the period ending ……….. and have obtained all the information and explanations required by us.  In our opinion the statement set forth above/enclosed reflects true and correct analysis of the sales of the publisher for the period ending ……………….. to the best of our information and belief and according to the explanations given to us and as shown by the books of accounts.

(Signature)……….

(Name in block letters)

Chartered Accountant

2[***]

Registration No…………….

Date………………

*In respect of newspaper where the average number of copies printed per publishing day does not exceed 2,000, certificate by chartered accountant or a qualified auditor in the form prescribed above is not necessary.  Such certificate is also not necessary in the case of educational institutions, charitable societies or associations which publish newspapers generally for the use of their members and not for sale.]

 

 

1.Subs. by G.S.R. 1520, dated 14th December, 1960.

2. Omitted by G.S.R. 203, dated 20th January, 1970.

 

 

Name

Address

Value of share of capital

Whether related to other

Shareholders by marriage,

Blood relationship or otherwise

 

1

2

3

4

       ‘C’—OWNERSHIP

7.(a) Names and addresses of the owners of the newspaper (particulars need be given only of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one per cent of the capital) .  .  .  .  

(b)Also state:

(i) If the owner is a firm—whether it is     registered or unregistered, and particulars of partners who own more than one per cent, of the capital. 

(ii) If the owner is a Joint Stock Company, whether a public limited company or a private limited company, and the names and addresses of Chairman and members of the Board of Directors and shareholders holding more than one per cent of the capital.

 

 

 

 

(iii) If the owner is a Joint Stock Company and is managed by a managing agent—whether the managing agent is an individual, a firm or a Joint Stock Company, and the particulars referred to in part (a) of item (i) and (ii) of part (b) as the case may be .  .  .   

(iv) If the proprietor is a trust, co-operative society, society or association—names and addresses, etc. of Chairman and members of the Trust/Executive, etc. .  .  .  .  . 

(v) Any other form of ownership and details about the share of each owner .  .  .  .

NOTE: (i)  All the relevant information should be Furnished to disclose effective ownership Of newspaper. 

(ii) Items not applicable should be scored out …. 

18. The known bond holders, debentures, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one per cent, or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities ..           

 

NOTE: In case where the stock holder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting should also be furnished. 

I, ……………………, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

  (Name in block letters)

 Dated………….                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Signature of publisher …………… 

FORM III

[See Rule 7(1)]

Register of Newspaper

  1. Declaration number under which the newspaper is published
  2. Registration number of the newspaper
  3. Title of the newspaper
  4. Language/Languages in which the newspaper is published
  5. (a) Periodicity of the publication of the newspaper

(b) Day(s)/Date(s) of publication (in the case of publication not published every day)

  1. Editor’s Name

Nationality

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ?

   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin]

   Address

  1. Printer’s Name

Nationality

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ?

   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin ]

Address

  1. Publisher’s Name

Nationality

1[(a) Whether a citizen of India ?

   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin]

   Address

  1. (a) True and precise account of premises where the printing is conducted
    (b) Place of publication
  2. (a) Average number of pages per week in respect of daily, bi-weekly, tri weekly and weekly newspapers
    (b) Average number of pages per issue in respect of other newspapers.
  3. Total number of days of publication in the year                                            

1                                 2

April to September          October to March

12.  (a)Average number of copies printed

      (b)Average number of copies sold

(c)Average number of copied distributed free

13.  Retail selling price per copy

 

 14.  Names and addresses of individuals

        who own the newspaper and partners

      or shareholders holding more than one

       per cent of the total capital  

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ 1. Ins. by G.S.R. 823, dated 12th March, 1969.

 

FORM IV

(See Rule 8)

 

Statement about ownership and other particulars about newspaper (…………..)

to be published in the first issue every year after the last day of February

 

1.             Place of publication                                                             _______________________________

2.             Periodicity of its publication                                              _______________________________

3.             Printer’s Name                                                                      _______________________________

                Nationality                                                                            _______________________________

                1[(a) Whether a citizen of India?                                       _______________________________

                   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin]                        _______________________________

                   Address                                                                              _______________________________         

4.             Publisher’s Name                                                                 _______________________________

                Nationality                                                                            _______________________________

                1[(a) Whether a citizen of India?                                       _______________________________

                   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin]                        _______________________________

                   Address                                                                              _______________________________

 5.            Editor’s Name                                                                       _______________________________

                Nationality                                                                            _______________________________

                1[(a) Whether a citizen of India?                                       _______________________________

                   (b) If a foreigner, the country of origin]                        _______________________________

   Address                                                                              _______________________________

 

6.        Names and addresses of individuals who

       own the newspaper and partners or shareholders

        holding More than one per cent of the total capital.

 

I ,   …………………………………………., hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.  

 

 

Date …………….                                                                                                                                  Signature of publisher …….

 

1.Ins. by G.S.R. 823, dated 12th March, 1969.