Lok Sabha Question No. 2204 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-29
Subject: New Advertisement Policy for Print Media
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT  OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF INFORMATON AND BROADCASTING

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED  QUESTTON  NO. 2204 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.7.2016

## NEW ADVERTISEMENT POLICY FOR PRINT MEDIA

## 2204. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

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

- (a) whether the Govemment  has implemented  a new advertisement policy for print media, if so, the details  and salient  features  thereofi
- (b) whether circulation upto 45,000 copies  per publishing  day certificate  from chartered Accountant/Audit Bureau  of circulations  (ABC) is  -undut"d,  if so, the details thereof  and the the reasons  therefor;
- (c) whether  certification  by RNI (Registrar  of Newspapers for India) and ABC is mandated  if circulation  exceeds 45,000 copies per publishing  day;
- (d) if so,  the details  and motive  thereof including  the number  ofofficials appointed  for the purpose; and
- (e) whether a large number of small and medium  newspapers  would be affected by new print  media advertisement  policy,  if so, the corrective measures taken by the Govemment in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) Government  of India has formulated  'The Print Media Advertisement  policy  of Govemment of India -2016' which has been implemented w.e.f. 0i/06/2016. The new policy is available on Directorate of Advertising and visual  publicity  (DAVp)'s  website, rvr.vw.davD.nic.in.

The salient features  of the policy and the criteria  to provide Govemment advertisements to print media including  the norms for selection  of magazines  for empanelment with DA\? are as under:-

(i) Circulation verification  by RNI/Audit  Bureau of Circulation (ABC)  for newspapers publishing above 45,000 copies per day has been made compulsory.

(ii) A Marking  System  has been devised  based on objective  criterion to incentivize newspapers  which get their circulation verified by RNI/ABC  to bring about better transparency  and accountability in the release of advertisements.  The advertisements  to medium  and big category  newspapers  will be released when they get more than 45 marks out of 100 marks specified in the Clause-l8(iv)  of the Policy.

(iii) Provisions  has been made for DAVP to make efforts to release more advertisements to periodicals  especially social  messages  and advertisements which are not date specific.

(iv) Provisions  to incentivize those  big newspapers  which are willing to publish the advertisements of educational  institutions  at DAVP  rates by giving additional  business  of 50%o in volume  terms as compared  to those which are not willing to accept, has been added.

(v) The budget for release of advertisement all over the country  be divided among states based  on the total circulation  ofnewspapers  in each States/language.

(b) Yes, Sir. Certificate  from either Chartered/Cost Accountant or Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has been prescribed  in case of newspapers/journals  having circulation upto 45,000 copies per publishing  day. This will facilitate  small/medium  newspapers  who can get their circulation  audited  at local level by Chartered/Cost  Accountant.

(c) and (d) In order to ensure the intended outreach  of Govemment  advertisements  and also to authenticate the claimed circulation of the publications, the certification of circulation by RNI (Registrar of Newspapers  for India) and ABC has been made mandatory for the publications exceeding 45,000  copies per publishing  day.

At present 8 Gazetted officers  besides  Press Registrar  are deputed in RNI to carry out the mandate  of RNI. Moreover, as per M/o I&B order dated 14'07 .2016, as many as 14 Additional  Director  Generals,  19 Directors/Joint  Directors and 24 Deputy Directors of Press Information  Bureau (PIB) posted in states have been re-designated  as Additional Press Registrar for the State, Deputy Press Registrar for the State,  and Assistant  Press Registrar for the State respectively to discharge their duties under the general superintendence and control  of the Press Registrar  as such and they may also be assigned the work of circulation  verification relating to their States.

(e) The provisions  with regard to release  of advertisements  to small category newspapers/joumals  are same as in the earlier policy.  However, in case of medium  category newspapen,  in order to ensure transparency and accountability  in the process  ofrelease of advertisements by DAVP, the policy seeks to incentivise  such newspapers, whose circulation  is verified  by RNI/ABC  and who have better  professional  standing  and have been following  the Govemment Acts and Regulations.