11. Disposal of copies delivered under section 9.—
The copy delivered pursuant to clause
(a)of the
first paragraph of section 9 of this Act shall be disposed of as the State Government shall from time to
time determine.
Any copy or copies delivered pursuant to clause
(b)of the said paragraph shall be
7
[transmitted to the Central Government].]
1. Ins. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
2. Subs. by Act 10 of 1890, s. 4, for Part III.
3. The words “or lithographed” omitted by Act 55 of 1955, s. 9 (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
4. Subs. by Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Schedule, for “the States”.
5. The words “or lithographed” omitted by Act 55 of 1955, s. 9. (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
6. Subs. by Act 14 of 1922, s. 3 and the First Schedule, for “periodical work”.
7. Subs. by the A.O. 1948, for certain words.
10
1
[11A. Copies of newspapers printed in India to be delivered gratis to Government.—The printer
of every newspaper in 2[India] shall deliver at such place and to such officer as the State Government
may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct, and free of expense to the Government, two copies of
each issue of such newspaper as soon as it is published.]
3
[11B. Copies of newspapers to be delivered to Press Registrar.—Subject to -any rules that may be
made under this Act, the publisher of every newspaper in India shall deliver free of expense to the Press
Registrar one copy of each issue of such newspaper as soon as it is published.]
PART IV
PENALTIES
4
[12. Suspension or cancellation of certificate of registration.—
(1) The Press Registrar may, by
order, suspend the certificate of registration of a newspaper for a period not exceeding one year, if—
(a) the publisher has failed to publish the newspaper continuously.
Explanation.—For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that if a newspaper publishes less
than half of its issues, as are required to be published under rule
(6) of section 5, such newspaper shall
be deemed to have failed to publish continuously; or
(b) the publisher of a newspaper has given false particulars in the annual statement; or
(c) the publisher of a newspaper has failed to furnish the annual statement within two years from
the end of the financial year for which the annual statement was to be furnished.
(2) The Press Registrar may, by order, cancel the certificate of registration where—
(i) a newspaper has ceased publication for a period exceeding twenty-four months;
(ii) the publisher of a newspaper fails to furnish the annual statement even after the expiry of the
period during which the certificate of registration was suspended under clause
(c) of sub-section
(1);
(iii) the registration was obtained on false representation or on concealment of any material fact;
(iv) the title of the newspaper bears the same or similar title already held by any other owner of a
newspaper either in the same language anywhere in India or in any other language in the same State
or Union territory.
(3) No order for suspension or cancellation of certificate of registration shall be made under this
section, without giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to the publisher or owner of the
newspaper, as the case may be.
(4) A copy of order of suspension or cancellation passed under this section shall be made available to
the Central Government or the State Government or the Union territory administration, as the case may
be, and to the Magistrate.
13. Penalty for certain contraventions.— The Press Registrar may impose a penalty—
(i) not exceeding ten thousand rupees where the publisher prints or publishes any book or paper
otherwise than in conformity with the provisions contained in section 3;
(ii) not exceeding ten thousand rupees where the keeper of the press fails to make and subscribe
the declaration in conformity with the provisions contained in section 4;
(iii) not exceeding twenty thousand rupees where the publisher fails to furnish the annual
statement as required under clause
(a) of section 19D within one year from the end of the financial
year in respect of which the annual statement was required to be furnished;
1. Ins. by Act 14 of 1922, s. 3 and the First Schedule.
2. Subs. by Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Schedule, for “the States”.
3. Ins. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 10 (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
4. Subs. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and the Schedule for Sections 12 to 14. (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
11
(iv) not exceeding twenty thousand rupees where a person who has ceased to be a printer or publisher of
any newspaper fails or neglects to make a declaration in compliance with the provisions of section 8;
(v) not exceeding two thousand rupees for not delivering books or not supplying printer with maps referred
to in section 9;
(vi) not exceeding two thousand rupees where any printer of a newspaper neglects to deliver copies of the
newspaper in compliance with the provisions of sections 11A and 11B.]
15. Penalty for printing or publishing newspaper without conformin g to rules.—1[
(1)] Whoever
shall 2[edit], print or publish any 3[newspaper] without conforming to the rules hereinbefore laid down,
or whoever shall 2 [edit], print or publish, or shall cause to be 2 [edited], printed or published, any
4
[newspaper], knowing that the said rules have not been observed with respect to 5 [that newspaper],
shall, on conviction before a Magistrate, be punished with fine not exceeding 6[two thousand] rupees,
or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7[six months] or both.
8
[
(2) Where an offence is committed in relation to a newspaper under sub -section
(1),the
Magistrate may, in addition to the punishment imposed under the said sub -section, also cancel the
declaration in respect of the newspaper.]
15A. [Penalty for failure to make a dec laration under section 8].— Omitted by the Jan Vishwas
(Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (18 of 2023), s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
16. [Penalty for not delivering books or not supplying printer with maps ].— Omitted by s. 2
and the Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
16A. [Penalty for failure to supply copies of newspapers gratis to Government].— Omitted by s. 2
and the Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
16B. [Penalty for failure to supply copies of newspapers to Press Registrar ].— Omitted by s. 2
and the Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
17. [Recovery of forfeitures and disposal thereof and of fines ].— Omitted by s. 2 and the
Schedule, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
PART V
REGISTRATIONOF BOOKS
18. Registration of memoranda of books.—There shall be kept at such office, and by such officer as the State
Government shall appoint in this behalf, a book to be called a Catalogue of Books printed in 9[India], wherein shall
be registered a memorandum of every book which shall have been delivered 10[pursuant to clause
(a)of the first
paragraph of section 9] of this Act. Such memorandum shall (so far as may be practicable) contain the following
particulars (that is to say) :—
(1) the title of the book and the contents of the title-page, with a translation into English of such title and
contents, when the same are not in the English language;
(2) the language in which the book is written;
(3) the name of the author, translator or editor of the book or any part thereof;
(4) the subject;
(5) the place of printing and the place of publication;
(6) the name or firm of the printer and the name or firm of the publisher;
(7) the date of issue from the press or of the publication;
(8) the number of sheets, leaves or pages;
(9) the size;
(10) the first, second or other number of the edition;
1. Section 15 re-numbered as sub-section
(1) of that section by Act 26 of 1960, s. 5 (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
2. Ins. by Act 14 of 1922, s. 3 and the First Schedule.
3. Subs. by s. 3 and the First Schedule, ibid., for “such periodical work as is hereinbefore described,”.
4. Subs, by s, 3 and the First Schedule, ibid., for “such periodical work,”
5. Subs. by s. 3 and the First Schedule, ibid., for “that work ,”.
6. Subs. by Act 14 of 1922, s. 3 and the First Schedule, for “five thousand”
7. Subs. by s. 3 and the First Schedule, ibid., for “two years”.
8. Ins. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 5 (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
10. Subs. by Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Schedule, for “the States”.
11. Subs. by Act 10 of 1890, s. 6, for “pursuant to section 9”.
12
(11) the number of copies of which the edition consists;
(12) whether the book is printed 1[cyclostyled or lithographed];
(13) the price at which the book is sold to the public; and
(14) the name and residence of the proprietor of the copyright or of any portion of such
copyright.
Such memorandum shall be made and registered in the case of each book as soon as practicable
after the delivery of the 2[copy thereof pursuant to clause
(a)of the first paragraph of section 9] 3***.
19. Publication of memoranda registered.—The memoranda registered during each quarter
in the said Catalogue shall be published in the Official Gazette, as soon as may be after the end of
such quarter, and a copy of the memoranda so published shall be sent 4 * * * to the Central
Government 5***.
6
[PART VA
REGISTRATIONOF NEWSPAPERS
19A. Appointment of Press Registrar and other officers.—The Central Government may appoint a
Registrar of newspapers for India and such other officers under the general superintendence and control
of the Press Registrar as may be necessary for the purpose of performing the functions assigned to them
by or under this Act, and may, by general or special order, provide for the distribution or allocation of
functions to be performed by them under this Act.
19B. Register of newspapers.—
(1) The Press Registrar shall maintain in the prescribed manner a
Register of newspapers.
(2)The Register shall, as far as may be practicable, contain the following particulars
about every newspaper published in India, namely:—
(a) the title of the newspaper;
(b) the language in which the newspaper is published;
(c) periodicity of the publication of the newspaper;
( d) t h e na me of t he e di t or , p r i nt er a nd pu bl i s her of t he n ew spa per ;
(e) the place of printing and publication;
(f) the average number of pages per week;
(g) the number of days of publication in the year;
(h) the average number of copies printed, the average number of copies sold to the
public and the average number of copies distributed free to the public, the average being
calculated with reference to such period as may be prescribed;
(i) retail selling price per copy;
(j) the names and addresses of the owners of the newspaper and such other particulars relating
to ownership as may be prescribed;
(k) any other particulars which may be prescribed.
1. Subs. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 15, for “or lithographed” (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
2. Subs. by Act 10 of 1890, s. 6, for “copies thereof in manner aforesaid”.
3. Last sentence of section 18 rep. by Act 3 of 1914, s. 15 and the Second Schedule.
4. The words “to the said Secretary of State, and” rep. by the A.O. 1948.
5. The word “respectively” omitted, ibid.
6. Ins. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 16 (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
13
(3) On receiving information from time to time about the aforesaid particulars, the Press
Registrar shall cause relevant entries to be made in the Register and may make such necessary
alterations or corrections therein as may be required for keeping the Register up -to-date.
19C. Certificates of registration.—On receiving from the Magistrate under section 6 a
copy of the declaration in respect of a newspaper 1[and on the publication of such newspaper,
the Press Registrar shall], as soon as practicable thereafter, issue a certificate of registration
in respect of that newspaper to the publisher thereof.
19D. Annual statement, etc., to be furnished by newspapers.—It shall be the duty of the publisher
of every newspaper—
(a) to furnish to the Press Registrar an annual statement in respect of the newspaper at such time
and containing such of particulars referred to in sub-section
(2) of section19B as may be prescribed;
(b) to publish in the newspaper at such times and such of the particulars relating to the newspaper
referred to in sub-section
(2) of section 19B as may be specified in this behalf by the Press Registrar.
19E. Returns and reports to be furnished by newspapers.—The publisher of every newspaper
shall furnish to the Press Registrar such returns, statistics and other information with respect to any of the
particulars referred to in sub-section
(2) of section 1913 as the Press Registrar may from time to time
require.
19F. Right of access to records and documents.—The Press Registrar or any gazetted officer
authorised by him in writing, in this behalf shall, for the purpose of the collection of any information
relating to a newspaper under this Act, have access to any relevant record or document relating to the
newspaper in the possession of the publisher thereof, and may enter at any reasonable time any premises
where he believes such record or document to be and may inspect or take copies of the relevant records or
documents or ask any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished under
this Act.
19G. Annual report.—The Press Registrar shall prepare, in such form and at such time each year as
may be prescribed, an annual report containing a summary of the information obtained by him during the
previous year in respect of the newspapers in India and giving an account of the working of such
newspapers, and copies thereof shall be forwarded to the Central Government.
19H. Furnishing of copies of extracts from Register.—On the application of any person for the
supply of the copy of any extract from the Register and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, the
Press Registrar shall furnish such copy to the applicant in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
19-I. Delegation of powers.—Subject to the provisions of this Act and regulations made thereunder,
the Press Registrar may delegate all or any of his powers under this Act to any officer subordinate to him.
19J. Press Registrar and other officers to be public servants.—The Press Registrar and all officers
appointed under this Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
2
[19K. Penalty for contravention of section 19D or section 19E.—If the publisher of any
newspaper—
(a) refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of clause
(b) of section 19D or section 19E; or
(b) publishes in the newspaper in pursuance of clause
(b) of section 19D any particulars relating to
the newspaper which he has reason to believe to be false,
he shall be liable to penalty not exceeding ten thousand rupees.]
19L. [Penalty for improper disclosure of information].—Omitted by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment
of Provisions) Act, 2023 (18 of 2023), s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
1. Subs. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 6, for certain words (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
2. Subs. by Act 18 of 2023, s. 2 and the Schedule for section 19k (w.e.f. 1-9-2023).
14
PART VI
MISCELLANEOUS
1
[20. Power of State Government to make rules.—
(1) The State Government may, by notification
in the Official Gazette, make such rules (not inconsistent with the rules made by the Central Government
under section 20A) as may be necessary or desirable for carrying out the objects of this Act.
(2) Every rule made by the State Government under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after
it is made, before the State Legislature.]
2
[20A. Power of Central Government to make rules.—
(1) The Central Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette, make rules—
(a) prescribing the particulars which a declaration made and subscribed under section 5 may
contain 3[and the form and manner in which the names of the printer, publisher, owner and editor of a
newspaper and the place of its printing and publication may be printed on every copy of such
newspaper];
4
[
(b) prescribing the manner in which copies of any declaration attested by the official seal of a
Magistrate or copies of any order refusing to authenticate any declaration may be forwarded to the
person making and subscribing the decimation and to the Press Registrar;]
(c) prescribing the manner in which copies of any newspaper may be sent to the Press Registrar
under section 11B;
(d) prescribing the manner in which a Register may be maintained under section 19B and the
particulars which it may contain;
(e) prescribed the particulars in which an annual statement to be furnished by the publisher of a
newspaper to the Press Registrar may contain;
(f) prescribing the form and manner in which an annual statement under clause
(a) of section
19D, or any returns, statistics or other information under section 19E, may be furnished to the Press
Registrar;
(g) prescribing the fees for furnishing copies of extracts from the Register and the manner in
which such copies may be furnished;
(h) prescribing the manner in which a certificate of registration may be issued in respect of a
newspaper;
(i) prescribing the form in which, and the time within which, annual reports may be prepared by
the Press Registrar and forwarded to the Central Government.
5
[
(2) Every rule made under this section shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made before each
House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one
session or 6[in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately
following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid] both Houses agree in making any modification
in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only
in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however that any such modification or
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.]]
7
[20B. Rules made under this Act may provide that contravention thereof shall be
punishable.—Any rule made under any provision of this Act may provide that any contravention thereof
shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees.]
1. Subs. by Act 20 of 1983, s. 2 and Schedule, for section 20 (w.e.f. 15-3-1984).
2. Ins. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 18 (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
3. Ins. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 8 (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
4. Subs. by s. 8, ibid., for clause
(b) (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
5. Subs. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 8, for sub-section
(2) (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
6. Subs. by Act 20 of 1983, s. 2 and Schedule, for certain words (w.e.f. 15-3-1984).
7. Ins. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 9 (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
15
21. Power to exclude any class of books from operation of Act.—1[The State Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette], exclude any class of books 2[or papers] from the operation of the
whole or any part or parts of this Act:
3
[
Provided that no such notification in respect of any class of newspapers shall be issued without
consulting the Central Government.]
22. Extent.—4[This Act extends to the whole of India 5***.]
23.[Commencement of Act.] Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1870 (14 of 1870), s. 1 and Schedule, Pt. II.
_________
1. Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for certain words.
2. Ins. by Act 11 of 1915, s. 2 and Sch. I.
3. Added by Act 26 of 1960, s. 10 (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
4. Ins. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 19.Original s. 22rep. by Act 10 of 1890, s. 7. (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
5. The words “except the State of Jammu and Kashmir” omitted by Act 16 of 1965, s. 4 (w.e.f. 1-11-1965).
16
