Lok Sabha Question No. 1045 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-22
Subject: Press Council of India
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NOJ 1045 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2016

## PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA

## 1045. SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN: SHRI LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Press Council of India (PCI) has not been able to protect the interest of the readers;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) the number and details of major judgments given by the PCI during the last three years;
- (d) whether the judgements of the said Council not observed during the said period, if so, the details thereof along with the name of the media houses which have not observed the said judgments; and
- (e) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd:)]

(a) & (b): Press Council of India, a statutory autonomous body has been set up under the Press Council Act; 1978 with twin objectives to preserve the freedom of the Press and to maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India. Accordingly, in order to inculcate principles of self-regulation amongst the press, the Council under section 13(2)(b) of the Act; has formed 'Norms of Journalistic Conduct' for adherence by the media. The complaints of content in media which are in violation of the ethical norms of journalism, public taste or professional conduct are adjudicated by the Council in exercise of its powers provided under section 14 of the Act. As per section 14 of the Act; the Council, after holding an inquiry, may warn, admonish or censure the newspaper; the news agency, the editor or the journalist or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist as the case may be\_ print

The Press Council is not merely an adjudicatory body, but also a conscience keeper: The Council does not merely decide the complaints brought before it;, it builds up under Section 13(2) of the Act,principles/ norms that could the journalists along the right The statistics of the complaint dealt with by the Council and the inflow of the references from the authorities are ample proof of the faith reposed in the Council by the citizens as well as the authorities of the country: path. guide

(c): A list of major decisions given by Press Council of India during the last three years is placed at Annexure:

(d) & (e): In large number of cases, the newspapers have been following the judgements of the Press Council of India, However, there is no provision in the Press Council Act; 1978 for taking any action against the newspapers in case of non-compliance of the directions by the Press Council of India.

***

## of Lok Sabha Unstarred\_Question No\_1045 regarding Press CounciLof India:

## List of Major judgments observed by Press Council of India during the last three financial years.

| No.   | Subjectlissue                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Date of decision   | RemarkslAction Taken                                  |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
|       | Complaint dated 31st 2010 of Shri Rubbabuddin Sheikh, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh against the Editor; Raj Express, Indore, M.P regarding publication of false and baseless news article_ May                                                                                                                            | 22nd July 2013     | Censured the newspaper 'Raj Express' _                |
| 2     | Complaint dated 18th  July 2008 of Shri Premshankar Mishra, Advocate , Gorakhpur; U.P. against the Editor; Dainik Hindustan, Gorakhpur; U.P. regarding publication of false and defamatory news items.                                                                                                             | 22nd July 2013     | Admonished the newspaper 'Dainik Hindustan' .         |
| 3     | Complaint dated 18th July 2008 of Shri Premshankar Mishra, Advocate , Gorakhpur; U.P_ against the Editor, Rashtriya Sahara, Gorakhpur; U.P_ regarding publication of false and defamatory_news _items                                                                                                              | 22nd July 2013     | Admonished the newspaper 'Rashtriya Sahara' .         |
| 4     | Complaint dated 30th June 2010 of Major General Sanjeev Madhok, Additional Director General Public Information, General Staff Branch, Integrated Head Quarter  of Ministry of Defence (Army) , South Block; New Delhi against the Editor; Hindustan New Delhi  regarding publication of objectionable news article | 22nd July 2013     | Admonished the newspaper Hindustan Times'             |
| 5_    | Complaint dated 27th October 2009 of Shri Zaheer Malik, Chairman, Nagar Panchayat; Zalalabad, Muzaffarnagar, U.P. against the Editor, Dainik Jagran, Meerut; U.P . regarding publication of false and defamatory_news_item:                                                                                        | 22nd July 2013     | Disposed of with observations and directions.         |
| 6     | Complaint dated gth June 2011 of  Shri Parmatma Sharan U.P. against the Editor, Dainik Janvani; Meerut; U.P_ regarding   publication of false, baseless and defamatory news item:                                                                                                                                  | 22nd July 2013     | Censured the newspaper 'Dainik Janvani' .             |
|       | Complaint dated 31st March 2011 of Mrs. S. L. Kameshwari; Assistant Professor, College of Home Science , Saifababad, Hyderabad, AP. against the Editor, Andhra Jyothi; Hyderabad regarding publication of defamatory news item:                                                                                    | 22nd July 2013     | Censured and admonished the newspaper 'Andhra Jyothi' |

| 8_   | Complaint dated U.P. Journalist Association, Hathras (ii) Press Club, Hathras (iii)Indian Human Rights Association, Hathras, U.P_ against the Police Authorities, Hathras, U.P regarding assault on media persons:                                               | November 2013 15th   | Directions.                                                                                      |
|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 9_   | Complaint dated April 2012 of General Secretary, Popular Front of India, Kalindi Kunj, New Delhi against the Editor Hindustan Times , Lucknow; U.P_ regarding  publication of false, fictitious, baseless and defamatory_news _item 16th                         | 15th November 2013   | Disposed of with directions.                                                                     |
| 10_  | Complaint dated 16th December 2011 of Smt: Vimla Devi;, Spokesperson, Citizen Charter; Correspondent; N.D. Inter College, Jalalpur, Ambedkarnagar; U.P_ against the Chief Editor, Moolniwasi Nayak, Lucknow, U.P. regarding publication of defamatory news item: | 15th November 2013   | Admonished and Censured the newspaper 'Moolniwasi Nayak' .                                       |
| 11.  | Complaint dated August 2011 of Shri Abhishek Goyal, Ahmedabad against the Editor; Sandesh, Gujarati Daily, Ahmedabad regarding publication of false and defamatory_news item 27th                                                                                | January 2014 1Oth    | Admonished and Censured the newspaper 'Sandesh' .                                                |
| 12   | Complaint dated 7th December 2012 of Smt. Rinki  Singh   (through her brother, Shri Ravi Kumar Singh) , New Delhi against the Editor, Jan Sandesh Times, Varanasi, U.P. regarding   publication of defamatory, objectionable and scandalous news item            | June 2014 2nd        | Disposed of with directions to the newspaper to publish an apology prominently in its newspaper. |
| 13_  | Complaint dated 10th March 2013 of Shri Shukla and Shri Saket Shukla, Baskar; Chhattisgarh the Editor, Channel India, Chhattisgarh regarding publication of false and against                                                                                    | June 2014 2nd        | Admonished and Censured the newspaper Channel India' .                                           |
| 14.  | Complaint  dated  26th July 2013 of Dr. Charu Walikhanna, National Commissioner for Women, New Delhi against the Editor; Dainik Bhaskar; Noida, U.P. regarding   publication of offensive and defamatory news item                                               | 2nd June 2014        | Admonished and Censured the newspaper Dainik Bhaskar'                                            |
| 15.  | Complaint dated November 2012 of Smt. Usha Yadav, Chairman, Nav Nari Utthan Samiti, Bhopal, MP. against the Editor; Patrika, Bhopal, M.P. regarding publication of false , baseless and misleading_news articles 16th Uday                                       | 2nd June 2014        | Admonished and Censured the newspaper Patrika' .                                                 |
| 16.  | Complaint dated 10th October 2012 of Shri L. S. Herdenia, Bhopal against the Editor; Panchjanya, New Delhi regarding publication of false, distorted and provocative_news_item                                                                                   | 2nd June 2014        | Dismissed the complaint:                                                                         |

| 17.   | Shyam Pannalalji Sharma, Member , Executive Committee, Berar General Education Society , Akola, Maharashtra against the Editors Suryodaya, Maharashtra regarding publication false, baseless,_vulgar and obscene_news_item:                                                                                                                                 | 7th August 2015    | Censured the editor, Suryodaya:                |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| 18_   | Complaint dated 4th September 2012 of Shri Rakesh Kumar Kushwaha, Kanpur, U.P. against the Editor, Electric Market Report; Kanpur, U.P_ regarding publication of one sided and defamatory news item:                                                                                                                                                        | 7th August 2015    | Censured the editor, Electric Market Report:   |
| 19.   | Complaint   dated 31st October   2009 of Prof. Sandeep K. Malhotra, Department of Zoology, University of Allahabad, U.P. against the Editor, The Times of India, Lucknow, U.P. regarding publication of false , misleading and fabricated news items:                                                                                                       | 11th December 2015 | Censured the newspaper 'The Times of India' .  |
| 20_   | Complaint dated 24th November 2014 of Shri Jagannath Bastia, President; Puri Journalist Association, Puri; Orissa against the Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee and Chairman-cum- Managing Director; UCO Bank regarding distribution of money in a Government Press Conference for coverage of favourable news of Parliamentary Standing_Committee | 17th December 2015 | Disposed of.                                   |
| 21 .  | Complaint dated November 2013 of Shri C. Hanumantharayappa, Bangalore , Karnataka the Editor, Naavu Bangalore , Karnataka regarding publication of false and baseless news item with his photograph in its issue dated 10th November 2013 29th against                                                                                                      | 17th March 2016    | Censured the newspaper 'Naavu Bandeddavaru' .  |
| 22_   | Complaint  dated 3rd   July 2013 of   Shri Sonu Maheshwari, Chairman, Naujawan Welfare Society, Bathinda   against the Editor; Punjab Kesari regarding publishing objectionable advertisement regarding sale of unborn baby in its issue dated 30th June 2013.                                                                                              | 17th March 2016    | Warned the newspaper Punjab Kesari.            |
| 23.   | Complaint dated 20th March 2015 of State Bank of Patiala, Lodhi Road, New Delhi against the Editor; The Halla Bol Times, Delhi regarding publication of false and defamatory news item:                                                                                                                                                                     | March 2016 17th    | Censured the newspaper 'The Halla Bol Times' . |