Press Council of India (PCI)

National Press Day

is symbolic of a free and
responsible press in India.
National Press Day: 16 Nov.
This was the day in 1966, on which the
Press Council of India (PCI) started
functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure
that not only did the press maintain the
high standards expected from this
powerful medium but also that it was not
fettered by the influence or threats of any
extraneous factors.
Press Council of India is unique
Though there are several Press or Media
Councils world over, the Press Council of
India is a unique entity in as- much-as this
is the only body to exercise an authority
even over the instruments of the state in its
duty to safeguard the independence of the
press.
Why Press Council
Recommending the establishment of Press
Council the First Press Commission had
concluded that the best way of maintaining
professional ethics in journalism would be to
bring into existence a body with statutory
authority, of people principally connected with
industry whose duty it would be to arbitrate.
To this end the Press Council of India was
established
The idea of Press Council
The first Press Council known as the Court of
Honour for the Press was set up in Sweden in
1916.
The idea gained quick acceptance in other
Scandinavian countries, and later in other parts
of Europe, Canada, Asia, Australia and New
Zealand. Today, the Press Councils or similar
other media bodies are in place in more than
four dozen nations.
Press Council of India (PCI)
PCI is a statutory autonomous, quasi-judicial
body created by an Act of Parliament
The Press Council of India was first
constituted on 4 July 1966 under the Indian
Press Council Act, 1965, on the
recommendations of the first Press
Commission(1954) with Justice J.R. Mudhlkar,
then a judge of the Supreme Court as the
Chairman. It started functioning from 16
November 1966.
Objective
PCI was set up with the twin object of:
 Preserving the freedom of the Press
 Maintaining and improving the standards of
newspapers and news agencies of the
press
Function
PCI acts as a watchdog of the press.
It adjudicates the complaints against and
by the press for violation of ethics and
for violation of the freedom of the press
respectively.
Functions PCI is required to
perform
Help newspapers and news agencies to
maintain their independence
Build up a code of conduct for newspapers,
news agencies and journalists in accordance
with high professional standards
To keep under review any development likely
to restrict the supply and dissemination of
news of public interest and importance
History
The 1965 Act was repealed in 1975 and
PCI was abolished during emergency.
A new Act was enacted in 1978 more
or less on the same lines as the Act of
1965 and the PCI was re-established
under it in 1979
Composition
PCI is a body corporate having
perpetual succession.
It consists of a Chairman and 28 other
members.
Composition:
Chairman
PCI is headed by a Chairman, who has by
convention, been a retired judge of the
Supreme Court of India.
Chairman,PCI is nominated by a Committee
consisting of Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Speaker
of Lok Sabha and a person elected from amongst
themselves by the 28 members of the council.
Composition:
Members
Of 28 other members, 20 represent the press and are
nominated by the press organisations/news agencies
recognised and notified by the Council as all India bodies
of categories such as editors, working journalists and
owners and managers of newspaper.
13 represent the working journalists (6 editors; 7
other than editors)
6 owner/manager of newspaper (2 each representing big,
medium and small newspaper)
1 from among the persons who manage news
agencies
Composition: Other members
5 members are nominated from the two houses of
Parliament, two by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha
and 3 by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Composition: Other members
3 represent cultural, literary and legal fields as
nominees of the Sahitya Academy, University
Grants Commission and the Bar Council of
India.
Period of service
The members serve on the Council for a term of
three years.
Funding
The Council is funded by revenue collected by
it as fee levied on the registered newspapers in
the country on the basis of their circulation. No
fee is levied on newspapers with circulation
less than 5000 copies.
The deficit is made good by way of grant by the
Central Government, through Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting
Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint against a newspaper, for
any publication which you find objectionable and
effects you personally, or non-publication of a
material, you should first take it up with the
editor or other representative of the publication
concerned.

If the complaint is not resolved to your

satisfaction, you may refer it to the Press
Council of India.
Complaints Procedure
The complaint must be specific and in writing and should
be filed/lodged within two months of the publication of
impugned news item in case of dailies and weeklies and
four months in all other cases, along with the
original/photocopy of the impugned clipping
( English translation if the matter is in vernacular ).
You must state in what manner the publication/non
publication of the matter is objectionable within the
meaning of the Press Council Act, 1978 and enclose a copy
of your letter to the editor, pointing out why you consider
the matter objectionable. His reply thereto or published
rejoinder, if any, may also be attached to it.
Declaration stating that the matter is not pending in any
court of law is also required to be filed.
Complaints Procedure
If a newspaper or journalist is aggrieved by any
action of any authority that may impinge on the
freedom of the press, he can also file a complaint
with the Council.
The aggrieved newspaper or journalist may inform the
Council about the possible reason for the action of the
authorities against him i.e. if it is as a reprisal measure
taken by the authorities due to critical writings or as a
result of the policy that may effect the freedom of the
press ( supporting documents, with English translation if
they are in vernacular, should be filed ).
Declaration regarding the non pendency of the matter in
any court of law is also necessary.
What happens then
On receipt of a complaint made to it or otherwise, if the
Council is prima facie satisfied that the matter discloses
sufficient ground for inquiry, it issues show cause notice to
the respondents and then considers the matter through its
Inquiry Committee on the basis of written and oral evidence
tendered before it.
If on inquiry, the Council has reason to believe that the
respondent newspaper has violated journalistic norms, the
Council keeping in view the gravity of the misconduct
committed by the newspaper, warns, admonishes or censures
the newspaper or disapproves the conduct of the editor or the
journalist as the case may be.
It may also direct the respondent newspaper to publish the
contradiction of the complainant or a gist of the Council’s
decision in its forthcoming issue.
What happens then..
Similarly, when the Council upholds the
complaint of the aggrieved newspaper/journalist,
it directs the concerned government to take
appropriate steps to redress the grievance of the
complainant.
The Council may, if it considers necessary ,
make such observations, as it may think fit, in any
of its decisions or reports, respecting the conduct
of any authority, including Government.
Power of PCI
For the purpose of performing its functions or holding an inquiry under the Act

the Council exercises some of the powers vested in a Civil Court trying a suit under

the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters, namely :-

Summoning and enforcing the attendance of persons and examining them on oath;

requiring the discovery and inspection of documents;

receiving evidence on affidavits;

requisitioning any public record or copies thereof from

any court or office;

issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents; and any

other matter, which may be prescribed.

Address your complaints or inquiries to :

The Secretary,
Press Council of India,
Soochna Bhavan, 8-C.G.O. Complex,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
Email : pci@alpha.nic.in,
pcids@vsnl.net
Website: http://presscouncil.nic.in
Caveat
PCI does not have penal power. Hence it is
often called ‘toothless tiger’. Large newspapers
often do not respect the dictates of PCI.
 Should the institution continue?
 Should it be provided penal power?
Only print media and news-agencies come
under PCI. Television, radio and internet do not.
 Should the scope of PCI be increased to cover
television, radio and internet?