National Press Day 2019: All you need to know about the Press Council of India

Minister of Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar on November 16, wished the media fraternity on his Twitter handle while commemorating Press Council of India's 53rd National Press Day. The Union Minister took to the microblogging website to share his thoughts on the importance of press freedom, which he called the 'essence of vibrant democracy'.

Prakash Javadekar, who also holds serves as the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, emphasised the need for fair and unbiased reporting. He opined although the media can and should criticise for the right cause, it needs to be wary about 'fake news' and refrain from spreading misinformation.

Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar also addressed the media on the eve of National Press Day on November 15, where he lauded the media fraternity for their services to the people, society and nation as a whole, while also adding that journalism is a 'strong pillar of democracy'.

What is the National Press Day?

Observed across India on November 16 every year, this day is dedicated to acknowledge and honour the Press Council of India, a statutory and quasi-judicial establishment that is responsible for keeping an eye on the quality of reportage provided by the Indian Press community. It is symbolic of freedom of press in the country and acts as a "moral" watchdog to ensure that journalistic objectivity is not compromised or harmed by external factors.

Why is National Press Day celebrated on November 16?

The First Press Commission 1956) envisioned a committee to protect the ethics of journalism and freedom of Press in India. The Commission led to the forming of a 'Press Council' nearly 10 years later, which started monitoring media groups from November 16, 1966.

Modus Operandi

Formed in 1966 by the then Parliament members, the self-regulatory watchdog of the press operates under the Press Council Act of 1978. According to the Press Council of India's official website, the council is traditionally chaired by a retired Supreme Court Judge and 28 additional members of which 20 are members of the media outlets operating in India. Five members are nominated from the Houses of the Parliament and the remaining three represent cultural, legal and literary fields. 

Key functions of the Press Council of India

• Helps news outlets maintain independence
• Builds Code of Conduct to ensure high professional standards
• Disseminate news all over India
• Monitors production and processing of news; reviews quality
• Ensures individual and entrepreneurial press rights and responsibilities are upheld

Powers of the Council

• Censure any article or news found to violate the journalists' ethics and goes against the Press Council Act of 1978
• Hold enquiry into journalistic misconduct, with regards to any matter related to the media
• Ensure proceedings take place with regard to judicial hearing under Section 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)