19A. Appointment of Press Registrar and other officers.—TheCentral Government may appoint a
Registrar of newspapers for India and such other officers under the general superintendence and control
of the Press Registrar as may be necessary for the purpose of performing the functions assigned to them
by or under this Act, and may, by general or special order, provide for the distribution or allocation of
functions to be performed by them under this Act.
19B. Register of newspapers.—(1) The Press Registrar shall maintain in the prescribedmanner a
Register of newspapers.
(2)The Register shall, as far as may be practicable, contain the following particulars
aboutevery newspaper published in India, namely:—
(a) the title of the newspaper;
(b) the language in which the newspaper is published;
(c) periodicity of the publication of the newspaper;
(d) the name of the editor, printer and publisher of the newspaper;
(e) the place of printing and publication;
(f) the average number of pages per week;
(g) the number of days of publication in the year;
(h) the average number of copies printed, the average number of copies sold to the
public and the average number of copies distributed free to the public, the average being
calculated with reference to such period as may be prescribed;
(i) retail selling price per copy;
(j) the names and addresses of the owners of the newspaper andsuch other particulars relating to
ownership as may be prescribed;
(k) any other particulars which may be prescribed.
(3) On receiving information from time to time about the aforesaid particulars, the Press
Registrar shall cause relevant entries to be made in the Register and may make such necessary
alterations or corrections therein as may be required for keeping the Register up -to-date.
19C. Certificates of registration.—Onreceiving from the Magistrate under section 6 a
copy of the declaration in respect of a newspaper 6
[and on the publication of such newspaper,
the Press Registrar shall], as soon as practicable thereafter, issue a certificate of registration
in respect of that newspaper to the publisher thereof.
1. Subs. by Act 10 of 1890, s. 6, for “copies thereof in manner aforesaid”.
2. Last sentence of section 18 rep. by Act 3 of 1914, s. 15 and the Second Schedule.
3 The words “to the said Secretary of State, and” rep. by the A.O. 1948.
4. The word “respectively” omitted, ibid.
5. Ins. by Act 55 of 1955, s. 16 (w.e.f. 1-7-1956).
6. Subs. by Act 26 of 1960, s. 6, for certain words (w.e.f. 1-10-1960).
14
19D. Annual statement, etc., to be furnished by newspapers.—It shall be the duty of the publisher
of every newspaper—
(a) to furnish to the Press Registrar an annual statement in respect of the newspaper at such time
and containing such ofparticulars referred to in sub-section (2) of section19B as may be prescribed;
(b) to publish in the newspaper at such times and such of the particulars relating to the newspaper
referred to in sub-section (2) of section 19B as may be specified in this behalf by the Press Registrar.
19E. Returns and reports to be furnished by newspapers.—Thepublisher of every newspaper shall
furnish to the Press Registrar such returns, statistics and other information with respect to any of the
particulars referred to in sub-section (2) of section 1913 as the Press Registrar may from time to time
require.
19F. Right of access to records and documents.—The Press Registrar or any gazetted officer
authorised by him in writing, in this behalf shall, for the purpose of the collection of any information
relating to a newspaper under this Act, have access to any relevant record or document relating to the
newspaper in the possession of the publisher thereof, and may enter at any reasonable time any premises
where he believes such record or document to be and may inspect or take copies of the relevant records or
documents or ask any question necessary for obtaining any information required to be furnished under
this Act.
19G. Annual report.—The Press Registrar shall prepare, in such form and at such time each year as
may be prescribed, an annual report containing a summary of the information obtained by him during the
previous year in respect of the newspapers in India and giving an account of the working of such
newspapers, and copies thereof shall be forwarded to the Central Government.
19H. Furnishing of copies of extracts from Register.—On the application of any person for the
supply of the copy of any extract from the Register and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, the
Press Registrar shall furnish such copy to the applicant in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
19-I. Delegation of powers.—Subject to the provisions of this Act and regulations made thereunder,
the Press Registrar may delegate all or any of his powers under this Act to any officer subordinate to him.
19J. Press Registrar and other officers to be public servants.—The Press Registrar and all officers
appointed under this Act shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the
Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
19K. Penalty for contravention of section 19D or section 19E, etc.—If the publisher of any
newspaper—
(a)refuses or neglects to comply with the provisions of section 19D or section 19E; or
1
* * * * *
(c)publishes in the newspaper in pursuance of clause (b)of section 19D any particulars relating to
the newspaper which he has reason to believe to be false,
he shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.
19L. Penalty for improper disclosure of information.—If any person engaged in connection with
the collection of information under this Act wilfully discloses any information or the contents of any
return given or furnished under this Act otherwise than in the execution of his duties under t his Act or for
the purposes of the prosecution of an offence under this Act or under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860),
he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which
may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.]