The Press and Registration of Book Act was passed in colonial India under British Rule in 1867. The act was passed to curb the Freedom of speech and expression of the writers, in the form of books, newspapers, or any other printed material, in order to stop the national uprising for the freedom of India.

1. Tanakshi
ASSIGNMENT: BOOK AND PRESS REGISTRATION ACT
Introduction-
The Press and Registration of Book Act was passed in colonial India under the British Rule in 1867.
The act was passed to curb the Freedom of speech and expression of the writers, in the form of books,
newspapers or any other printed material, in order to stop the national uprising for the freedom of
India. The sole purpose of the act was to establish some governmental control and restrict the freedom
fighters to instigate freedom struggle.
It was seen as a regulatory law, despite its stringent nature, which enabled Government to regulate
printing presses and newspapers by a system of registration and to preserve copies of books and other
matter printed in India.
What does regulatory mean? - Regulatory refers to a rule issued by a regulatory body appointed by the
state or central government.
History-
We all know about the revolt of 1857, very often considered as India’s first step to national struggle,
the revolt of 1857 gained momentum because of coverage of the suppression by the press and that is
exactly the reason why theBritishfound a need to introduce another act despite thefact that there were
variousactsandregulationsalreadyexistingliketheCensorshipofPressAct,1799whichwasimposed
by Lord Wellesley and the Press Act of 1835
However, the Press and Registration of Book Act, 1867 was never discarded even after India got
independent in the year 1947. The act was heavily amended n 1955 following the recommendations
of the First Press Commission in 1953, result of which was the creation of Office of the Registrar of
Newspapers of India (RNI), a Government of India statutory body of Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting for the registration of the publications, such as newspapers and magazines, was started
functioning in 1956.
SO, WHAT IS PRESS AND REGISTRATION OF BOOK ACT?
An Act for the regulation of Printing - presses and Newspapers, for the preservation of copies of
books and newspapers printed in India , and for the registration of such books and newspapers.
Interpretation- An act that manages, supervises and controls various mediums of printing like books,
magazines, pamphlets, encyclopaedias along with printing press that publish the material. It also
performsthefunctionsofregistrationand preservationofthesame.Theactbyitselfappearstobefairly
liberal and clearly designed to ‘help preserve news’, is the introduction to the act.
The Act Includes –
• The act also gives us the definition or interpretation of certain terms like Book, editor,
Magistrate, Newspaper, paper, pamphlets and Press Registrar.

2. • It states that Paper means any document, including a newspaper, other than a book and
newspaper" means any printed periodical work containing public news or comments on
public news.
• It states the interpretation of the word Book includes every volume, part of division of a
volume, and pamphlet, in any language, and every sheet of music, map, chart of plan
separately printed
• It also says that those pamphlets which give the prediction of lucky figures, numbers or dates
and only stray news items cannot be considered as a newspaper.
• It also talks about what all should be mentioned in the newspaper or books- it says that book
and newspaper should have the name of the printing press and if it is a person meaning a
publisher then the publication should have the name of the publisher along with the location
wherein the printing press is located.
• It also states that the person who is the keeper of the printing press, shall not be able to posses
i.e. Is hold a possession of the printing press if the person has not made a declaration of the
possession in front of the magistrate. The act also provides a sample of the declaration for the
keeper of the printing press.
• It is not uncommon for a printing press to shift the place or location of the printing press,
under such circumstances, the act also provides a measure, if the place where a press is kept is
changed, a new declaration shall be necessary.
• It also talks about how the keeper of the printing press does not actually have to be owner of
the printing press and that the ownership of the press is a matter of the general law.
• The act also lays down the rules for the publication of the newspaper-
¨ Every copy of the newspaper should have a title, the name of the owner and editor of
the newspaper and the date of publication. The title of the newspaper should not be
hidden and should be displayed clearly in the newspaper.
¨ The printer or the publisher or printer and publisher should appear before the Sub-
divisional magistrate and shall make a declaration in which he shall specify the title of
the newspaper, the language in which it is to be published and the periodicity of its
publication and shall contain such other particulars as may be prescribed.
Þ Ifthetitle,language,periodicityofthepublication, ownershipofanewspaper,
place of printing or publication is changed then a new declaration has to be
made.
• IfaNewspaperhasceasedpublicationforaperiod,exceedingtwelvemonths,everydeclaration
made by the newspaper will cease to have effect, and the newspaper has to give a new
declaration can be re-published.
For example- DNA went completely digital after being in the industry for more than 14 years,
the news came out on October 2019, so now if DNA has to start republishing it has to file new
declarations before starting the publication because the limit of 12 months has been crossed.

3. FOUR STEPS TO START A NEWSPAPER-
Title Verification and Declaration- An application is
required to be made for title verification which contains
the title, language, periodicity of the publication,
ownership of a newspaper, place of printing or
publication.Thepurposeof this practiceis toensurethe
availability of the title and to avoid conflict in the future
because of copyright laws. The declaration has to be
given before the Magistrate.
Publication of the First issue or copy- The PRB Act
1867 states that the first issue should be brought within
42 days of authentication of declaration, in case
periodicity is daily or weekly. If the periodicity is
fortnightly or above, first issue should be brought out
within 90 days of authentication of declaration.
And lastly the Registration and Certificate of
registration- The Press Registrar maintains the
Register of newspapers. The Certificate of Registration
is issued by Press Registrar once:
• The Magistrate issues a copy of the declaration,
and
• The first issue of the periodical is published.
PENALTY
• Whoever will keep in possession, press, without making declaration, will be punished by fine
not exceeding two thousand rupees, or by simple imprisonment for a term not exceeding six
months. or by both.
• A person who while making the declaration has given any false statement, which he either
knows or believes to be false, will be on conviction before the magistrate will be punished by
fine not exceeding two thousand rupees, or by simple imprisonment for a term not exceeding
six months.

4. • If any person prints or publish newspaper without knowing that the said rules have not been
observed with respect to that newspaper, will be on conviction before a magistrate, will be
punished by fine not exceeding two thousand rupees, or by simple imprisonment for a term
not exceeding six months. or by both.
Reference-
https://mib.gov.in/acts/press-registration-books-act-
1867#:~:text=ACT%2025%20OF%201867,1897%20(14%20of%201897).