Lok Sabha Question No. 3026 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-07
Subject: Growth of English Newspapers
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3026**

**(TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2015)**

**GROWTH OF ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS**

**3026.		SHRI B. SRIRAMULU**

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

1. whether there has been decrease in the growth/sales of the English newspapers while there is an increase in growth/sale of regional language newspapers in the country during the last three years and the current year;

1. if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor during the last three years, language-wise including Kannada; and

1. the steps taken by the Government to increase the growth of English newspaper?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, MINISTER OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING [SHRI ARUN JAITLEY]**

**(a) and (b):** Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is mandated to provide registration of various Newspapers published in India.

As per the records maintained by RNI, there has been a growth of registration of English as well as regional newspapers, over the last three years i.e. from 2012-13 to 2014-15.  State-wise and language-wise details of growth of newspapers for the last three years are at Annexure-I and II, respectively.

Growth in terms of circulation (sold+free copies) of English newspapers and newspapers in regional languages as filed by the publications in their Annual

…Contd/-

Statements filed with RNI during the last three years i.e. from 2011-12 to 2013-14 are given below:-

| **Year**                  | **Claimed circulation**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                           | **English Newspaper**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | **Newspapers in Regional languages, excluding Hindi, English and Urdu**                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| 2011-12                   | 68077280 copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 108603811  copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2012-13                   | 56385998 copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 117328139  copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2013-14                   | 64405643 copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 125119648  copies per  publishing day                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| 2014-15  and current year | The last date for receipt of annual statement for 2014-15 was extended by RNI till June 12, 2015. Compilation of figures is under process.  The process for submitting the annual Statement for current year i.e. 2015-16, will start only after March 2016. | The last date for receipt of annual statement for 2014-15 was extended by RNI till June 12, 2015. Compilation of figures is under process.  The process for submitting the annual Statement for current year i.e. 2015-16, will start only after March 2016. |

The figures given above shows that circulation claimed by English newspapers for the last three years, i.e. from 2011-12 to 2013-14, is on fluctuating trend, while the total circulation of newspapers in regional languages has increased during the same period. Language-wise details of claimed circulation of newspapers, including Kannada, are at Annexure-III.

**(c) :** Government does not regulate the growth of newspapers in any language, including English.

*****

ANNEXURE-I

ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3026 FOR ANSWER ON 7.8.2015 BY SHRI B. SRIRAMULU REGARDING ‘GROWTH OF ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS’

**State-wise details of Registered Publications for the last three years (source - Press in India).**

| **S.No.**   | **NAME OF STATE**                 | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2013**   | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2014**   | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2015**   |
|-------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| 1           | **ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS** | **80**                                                | **85**                                                | **86**                                                |
| 2           | **ANDHRA PRADESH**                | **5575**                                              | **6021**                                              | **6215**                                              |
| 3           | **ARUNACHAL PRADESH**             | **21**                                                | **23**                                                | **25**                                                |
| 4           | **ASSAM**                         | **635**                                               | **654**                                               | **682**                                               |
| 5           | **BIHAR**                         | **1747**                                              | **1801**                                              | **1858**                                              |
| 6           | **CHANDIGARH**                    | **504**                                               | **527**                                               | **545**                                               |
| 7           | **CHATTISGARH**                   | **1111**                                              | **1247**                                              | **1382**                                              |
| 8           | **DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI**      | **22**                                                | **27**                                                | **32**                                                |
| 9           | **DAMAN & DIU**               | **11**                                                | **15**                                                | **18**                                                |
| 10          | **DELHI**                         | **11410**                                             | **11767**                                             | **12177**                                             |
| 11          | **GOA**                           | **124**                                               | **129**                                               | **133**                                               |
| 12          | **GUJARAT**                       | **4370**                                              | **4769**                                              | **5262**                                              |
| 13          | **HARYANA**                       | **1553**                                              | **1618**                                              | **1690**                                              |
| 14          | **HIMACHAL PRADESH**              | **285**                                               | **301**                                               | **311**                                               |
| 15          | **JAMMU & KASHMIR**           | **878**                                               | **969**                                               | **1003**                                              |
| 16          | **JHARKHAND**                     | **355**                                               | **400**                                               | **436**                                               |
| 17          | **KARNATAKA**                     | **5173**                                              | **5556**                                              | **5922**                                              |
| 18          | **KERALA**                        | **2943**                                              | **3057**                                              | **3145**                                              |
| 19          | **LAKSHADWEEP**                   | **7**                                                 | **7**                                                 | **7**                                                 |
| 20          | **MADHYA PRADESH**                | **7678**                                              | **8283**                                              | **8932**                                              |
| 21          | **MAHARASHTRA**                   | **12466**                                             | **13375**                                             | **14394**                                             |
| 22          | **MANIPUR**                       | **169**                                               | **174**                                               | **178**                                               |
| 23          | **MEGHALAYA**                     | **90**                                                | **93**                                                | **94**                                                |
| 24          | **MIZORAM**                       | **173**                                               | **176**                                               | **178**                                               |
| 25          | **N AGALAND**                     | **22**                                                | **22**                                                | **22**                                                |
| 26          | **ORISSA**                        | **1724**                                              | **1819**                                              | **1909**                                              |
| 27          | **PONDICHERRY**                   | **132**                                               | **144**                                               | **152**                                               |
| 28          | **PUNJAB**                        | **1711**                                              | **1773**                                              | **1830**                                              |
| 29          | **RAJASTHAN**                     | **5427**                                              | **5745**                                              | **6045**                                              |
| 30          | **SIKKIM**                        | **104**                                               | **109**                                               | **114**                                               |
| 31          | **TAMIL NADU**                    | **5252**                                              | **5507**                                              | **5820**                                              |
| 32          | **TELANGANA**                     | **0**                                                 | **0**                                                 | **203**                                               |
| 33          | **TRIPURA**                       | **141**                                               | **143**                                               | **146**                                               |
| 34          | **UTTAR PRADESH**                 | **14336**                                             | **15209**                                             | **16130**                                             |
| 35          | **UTTARANCHAL**                   | **2859**                                              | **3026**                                              | **3179**                                              |
| 36          | **WEST BENGAL**                   | **4979**                                              | **5089**                                              | **5188**                                              |
| **TOTAL**   |                                   | **94067**                                             | **99660**                                             | **105443**                                            |

ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3026 FOR ANSWER ON 7.8.2015 BY SHRI B. SRIRAMULU REGARDING ‘GROWTH OF ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS’

**Language-wise details of Registered Publications for the last Three Years (source- Press in India).**

| **LANGUAGE**     | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2013**   | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2014**   | **No. of registered publications as on 31.03.2015**   |
|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|
| **ASSAMESE**     | **328**                                               | **331**                                               | **340**                                               |
| **BENGALI**      | **3700**                                              | **3780**                                              | **3855**                                              |
| **BODO**         | **4**                                                 | **5**                                                 | **5**                                                 |
| **DOGRI**        | **2**                                                 | **2**                                                 | **2**                                                 |
| **ENGLISH**      | **12634**                                             | **13138**                                             | **13661**                                             |
| **GUJARATI**     | **4049**                                              | **4401**                                              | **4836**                                              |
| **HINDI**        | **37891**                                             | **40159**                                             | **42493**                                             |
| **KANNADA**      | **3886**                                              | **4211**                                              | **4513**                                              |
| **KASHMIRI**     | **3**                                                 | **5**                                                 | **5**                                                 |
| **KONKANI**      | **24**                                                | **24**                                                | **25**                                                |
| **MAITHILI**     | **12**                                                | **13**                                                | **15**                                                |
| **MALAYALAM**    | **2317**                                              | **2413**                                              | **2477**                                              |
| **MANIPURI**     | **63**                                                | **62**                                                | **63**                                                |
| **MARATHI**      | **6576**                                              | **7155**                                              | **7818**                                              |
| **NEPALI**       | **159**                                               | **165**                                               | **168**                                               |
| **ORIYA**        | **1330**                                              | **1400**                                              | **1466**                                              |
| **OTHERS**       | **564**                                               | **580**                                               | **592**                                               |
| **PUNJABI**      | **1184**                                              | **1212**                                              | **1238**                                              |
| **SANTHALI**     | **10**                                                | **11**                                                | **12**                                                |
| **SANSKRIT**     | **80**                                                | **89**                                                | **95**                                                |
| **SINDHI**       | **124**                                               | **124**                                               | **124**                                               |
| **TAMIL**        | **3709**                                              | **3880**                                              | **4091**                                              |
| **TELUGU**       | **3695**                                              | **4022**                                              | **4311**                                              |
| **URDU**         | **4201**                                              | **4500**                                              | **4770**                                              |
| **BILINGUAL**    | **6450**                                              | **6863**                                              | **7282**                                              |
| **MULTILINGUAL** | **1072**                                              | **1115**                                              | **1186**                                              |
| **TOTAL**        | **94067**                                             | **99660**                                             | **105443**                                            |

ANNEXURE-III

ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3026 FOR ANSWER ON 7.8.2015 BY SHRI B. SRIRAMULU REGARDING ‘GROWTH OF ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS’

**Language-wise details of circulation per publishing day as claimed by Registered Publications in their Annual Statements during last three years**

| **Language**     | **Press in India 2011-12**   | **Press in India 2012-13**   |    | **Press in India 2013-14**   |
|------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|----|------------------------------|
| **ASSAMESE**     | **1225105**                  | **1274448**                  |    | **1622807**                  |
| **BENGALI**      | **7662990**                  | **8321081**                  |    | **7196678**                  |
| **BILINGUAL**    | **9710504**                  | **10227947**                 |    | **11773059**                 |
| **BODO**         | **83744**                    | **119787**                   |    | **167935**                   |
| **DOGRI**        | **53701**                    | **54264**                    |    | **54420**                    |
| **ENGLISH**      | **68077280**                 | **56385998**                 |    | **64405643**                 |
| **GUJARATI**     | **15235302**                 | **16983523**                 |    | **19628242**                 |
| **HINDI**        | **172576393**                | **202164175**                |    | **226475517**                |
| **KANNADA**      | **5153650**                  | **5237558**                  |    | **6316968**                  |
| **KASHMIRI**     | **114850**                   | **162400**                   |    | **168691**                   |
| **KONKANI**      | **25763**                    | **17736**                    |    | **2801**                     |
| **MAITHILI**     | **20314**                    | **98916**                    |    | **52675**                    |
| **MALAYALAM**    | **11845734**                 | **12590223**                 |    | **13570603**                 |
| **MANIPURI**     | **110473**                   | **177092**                   |    | **166626**                   |
| **MARATHI**      | **15998372**                 | **16669710**                 |    | **16677205**                 |
| **MULTILINGUAL** | **982393**                   | **961795**                   |    | **919753**                   |
| **NEPALI**       | **324674**                   | **345596**                   |    | **388852**                   |
| **ODIA**         | **10948293**                 | **12094854**                 |    | **12484899**                 |
| **OTHERS**       | **757458**                   | **667491**                   |    | **828746**                   |
| **PUNJABI**      | **3819742**                  | **4452304**                  |    | **5028917**                  |
| **SANSKRIT**     | **91999**                    | **143873**                   |    | **291632**                   |
| **SANTHALI**     | **2983**                     | **61581**                    |    | **29625**                    |
| **SINDHI**       | **557352**                   | **581347**                   |    | **593454**                   |
| **TAMIL**        | **8639090**                  | **8599400**                  |    | **8296434**                  |
| **TELUGU**       | **15239325**                 | **16585213**                 |    | **18858626**                 |
| **URDU**         | **24582280**                 | **30059618**                 |    | **34585404**                 |
| **Total**        | **373839764**                | **405037930**                |    | **450586212**                |