Now it’s official. The Press Council of India (PCI) assigned to safeguard the freedom of the press in the world’s largest democracy, remains non-functional for one full year. It may be astonishing for many that the billion plus nation’s statutory and quasi-judicial body has no effective committee after the term of PCI’s 14th council expired on 5 October 2024 (https://www.presscouncil.nic.in/TermsOfCouncilPCI.aspx). No pragmatic initiatives have been taken to constitute the 15th council of the PCI. Terming the delay in the constitution of a new council as surprising, various journalist-bodies urged the concerned authorities to do the needful. Many of them also demanded to empower the PCI with bringing the news channels, radio and digital platforms under its jurisdiction and if necessary rename it as the Media Council of India.
Needless to mention that the PCI is an autonomous body, which was initially set up in 1966 under the Press Council Act 1965 and later re-established in 1979 following the Press Council Act 1978 with a primary objective to ensure press freedom and also improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in the south Asian nation. The council enjoys a three-year term and the continuity broke last year as the chairperson did not initiate to constitute a new council. The PCI comprises a chairman (by convention a retired Supreme Court judge is assigned) and 28 members where 13 individuals represent the professional journalists out of whom 6 need to be editors of newspapers and 7 working journalists.
Another 6 members represent the management of newspapers (including the owners), 2 each taken from the big, medium and small newspapers, whereas 1 member represents the news agencies. Two houses of Parliament send 5 members, and 3 individuals are nominated by the University Grants Commission, Bar Council of India and Sahitya Academy from the fields of education, law and literature respectively to the council. But the PCI can overview the functioning of newspapers, periodicals and news agencies only. Moreover, it enjoys limited power for enforcing guidelines and even it cannot penalize the news outlets as well their editors and working journalists for violation of the prescribed guidelines.
Lately, a number of media bodies have also opposed a change in the PCI rules while picking up members from various press clubs instead of the national union of working journalists. They argue that the press clubs are mandated usually for recreational activities and their coverage areas normally stick to a particular region, city or town. Press clubs often give memberships to non-working journalists (like academicians, writers, film personalities and also diplomats) to enhance their influences. Moreover, the press club/press guild/ media club cannot have an all India body with representatives from various parts of the vast country. On the other hand, the recognised journalist’s unions are normally represented by the members from most parts of India.
As the PCI discharges its functions primarily through adjudications on complaints received against a particular newspaper/news agency or an editor/working journalist alleging professional misconduct deteriorating the standard of journalistic behaviours, it needs to be in an alert mode always. It has also the authority to make observations if the conduct of the government is found not appropriate in regards to the guaranteed freedom of the press and hence the council should be reactivated and realigned. Moreover, the Union information & broadcasting ministry should initiate for including all kinds of media outlets under its purview with no delay.
When PCI has no effective committee for a year
