Lok Sabha Question No. 2074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-08
Subject: Performance of Regional Newspapers
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: KAMLA DEVI PATLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2074 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.03.2018

## PERFORMANCE OF REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS

## 2074. SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Indian  print  media  including  regional  newspapers  has  registered  better performance in recent years;
- (b) if so, the number-wise details of the newspapers published in various States including Chhattisgarh State;
- (c) whether the cases of alleged corruption have come to light through certain regional newspapers; and
- (d) if so, the details of such cases during each of the last three years and the current year along with the action taken thereon in various States including Chhattisgarh during the said period?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

- (a)  As  per  the  records  of  the  Registrar  of  Newspapers  for  India  (RNI),  the  number  of registered publications as on 31 st March during the last three years, is as under:

|   Year | No of Registered Publications   |   Percentage increase over year | (%) last   |
|--------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------|
|   2015 | 1,05,448                        |                            5.8  |            |
|   2016 | 1,10,851                        |                            4.87 |            |
|   2017 | 1,14,820                        |                            3.58 |            |

The growth of the Indian Print Media in the recent years, therefore, has been consistent.

- (b) As on 31.3.2017, the State-wise number of registered publications, including Chhattisgarh State, is given at Annexure.
- (c)  &  (d)  No  record  of  cases  of  alleged  corruption  brought  to  light  by  newspapers  in  the country, is maintained by the Government. Cognizance/action in such cases, is taken directly by the concerned enforcement/regulatory agencies.

*******

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE AS REFEREED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) of LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2074 ON 8.3.2018

## THE STATE-WISE NUMBER OF REGISTERED PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING CHHATTISGARH STATE, AS ON 31.3.2017

|   S. NO. | STATE NAME              |   NO. OF REGISTERED PUBLICATIONS |
|----------|-------------------------|----------------------------------|
|        1 | ANDMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS |                               99 |
|        2 | ANDHRA PRADESH          |                             6683 |
|        3 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH       |                               29 |
|        4 | ASSAM                   |                              727 |
|        5 | BIHAR                   |                             1951 |
|        6 | CHANDIGARH              |                              571 |
|        7 | CHHATTISGARH            |                             1498 |
|        8 | DADRA&NAGAR HAVELI      |                               32 |
|        9 | DAMAN &DIU              |                               19 |
|       10 | DELHI                   |                            12721 |
|       11 | GOA                     |                              146 |
|       12 | GUJARAT                 |                             5811 |
|       13 | HARYANA                 |                             1843 |
|       14 | HIMACHAL PRADESH        |                              339 |
|       15 | JAMMU &KASHMIR          |                             1075 |
|       16 | JHARKHAND               |                              479 |
|       17 | KARNATAKA               |                             6596 |
|       18 | KERALA                  |                             3285 |
|       19 | LAKSHADWEEP             |                                7 |
|       20 | MADHYA PRADESH          |                            10502 |
|       21 | MAHARASHTRA             |                            15673 |
|       22 | MANIPUR                 |                              182 |

| 23.   | MEGHALAYA     |     95 |
|-------|---------------|--------|
| 24.   | MIZORAM       |    185 |
| 25.   | NAGALAND      |     25 |
| 26.   | ODISHA        |   2052 |
| 27.   | PUDUCHERRY    |    164 |
| 28.   | PUNJAB        |   1919 |
| 29.   | RAJASTHAN     |   6409 |
| 30.   | SIKKIM        |    116 |
| 31.   | TAMILNADU     |   6332 |
| 32.   | TELANGANA     |    595 |
| 33.   | TRIPURA       |    157 |
| 34.   | UTTAR PRADESH |  17736 |
| 35.   | UTTARAKHAND   |   3443 |
| 36.   | WEST BENGAL   |   5324 |
| Total | Total         | 114820 |