The Press Registrar can carry out a physical inspection of the business premises of a periodical if the publisher fails to furnish an annual statement regularly or if a desk audit recommends such action due to “exceptional circumstances”, according to the draft Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules 2024.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Friday sought comments from the public on the draft rules to implement the recently enacted Press and Periodicals Registration Act 2023.
The physical inspection of documents and other information and records at the business premises of the publisher and the printing press may be carried out only if the publisher is not furnishing the annual statement regularly as per the rules if a desk audit recommends such action due to “exceptional circumstances” or if the Press Registrar deems such action necessary after information, reference or complaint against a periodical.
The Press Registrar also has to record his recommendation for a physical inspection in writing if such verification is necessary having regard to any information, reference or complaint received by it against a periodical, the draft rules said.
According to the draft rules, the Press Registrar General may verify the circulation of a periodical if a daily newspaper having an average circulation of 25,000 copies or more each day, is empanelled or intends to get empanelled with the Central Bureau of Communication for getting advertisements from the central government.
The verification can also be carried out of any other periodical against which a reference or complaint has been received by the Press Registrar General.
The initial verification has to be a desk audit of the information furnished and carried out in a faceless manner.