The newspaper industry is growing at a pace in India so anyone person who want to start the business in the newspaper industry they have to comply the lot of legal compliance from Company Registration to Legal Documentation. So Let’s learn about a new legal registration that is called RNI Registration in India. Learn about the Procedure to apply for the RNI Registration in India.
The Press and Books Registration Act 1867 along with the Registration of newspaper (Central) Rules, 1956 regulate the publication of a newspaper, periodicals, and books. To ensure the compliance of the rules and act Government of India has appointed a registrar of newspaper (press registrar), who maintains a register of newspaper and periodicals published in India. The Registrar of Newspaper (RIN) is a statutory body came into existence on 1st July 1956. It has headquarters at New Delhi and Regional offices are at Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.
Just like if you want to incorporate company you have to get registration certificate from the registrar of the company so if any person wants to publish newspaper it has to apply to the Registrar of the newspaper for the registration certificate. So in order to start a newspaper or periodical or printed publication in India, RNI registration from the registrar of the newspaper is essential.
Some of the duties of RIN include compilation and maintenance of a register of newspaper, scrutiny, and analysis of annual statement sent by the publishers of the newspaper, the issue of a certificate of registration to the newspapers (RIN Registration) and they are in accordance with the Press and registration of books act.
Although RIN cannot be obtained for the following:
- When the title is same or similar to a well-known foreign title or another title in any language unless it is the owner of the title or,
- news agencies, feature agencies, coaching material and electronic versions of publications or,
- Titles which does not contain news, articles, opinions or views like advertisements, ads, classifieds, tender , calendar, word book channel or gazette.
Procedure to RNI Registration Certificate
Step 1 : You have to get the title of your proposed newspaper verified from Registrar of the newspaper for India.
Step 2: Make an application for title verification to the DM concerned, indicating title (up to 5 title options), periodicity, and language, place of publication and name, address, contact no. and email id of the owner of the newspaper proposed i.e. applicant.
Step 3: You can also apply online title verification at RNI official Website. You have to take print out of the application filled by you and affix your recent passport size photo and submit the print out duly filled to the DM concerned along with necessary documents. RNI will only process the title application when the hard copy is duly forwarded by the DM concerned.
Step 4: DM after ensuring that the details of the applicant are correct will forward it to RNI, who will check the availability of the title and if available will verify it
Step 5: RNI will inform the DM and the publishers about the availability of title and issue a letter of verification.
Step 6: The publisher has to file a declaration before the DM in the format prescribed and can start publishing the newspaper. In the case of the newspaper the 1st issue should be printed with 45 days from the date of authentication of the declaration and within 90 days, in the case of weekly, daily or other periodicals.
Step 7: After the 1st issue if published, The application for registration can be submitted to RNI along with the following documents:
- Title verification letter copy
- Authenticated declaration i.e. attested copy
- An affidavit for no foreign tie-up
- First issue and latest issue of the publication
- Content intimation/ confirmation in the prescribed form
- Certificate intimating appointment of the printer
Step 8: The newspaper should contain
- volume and issue number,
- date line and page number on all pages,
- title prominently displayed on the cover page and all pages,
- an imprint line containing the name of printer, publisher, owner and editor,
- address of the place of publication
- Name and address of the printing press. (If the printer and publisher are different persons, separate declarations are required.)
Formalities after Registration
- Whenever newspaper is published a copy should be delivered to RNI.
- The 1st issue after the last day of Feb should contain the Form No. IV duly filled ( it is regarding the ownership and other details of the newspaper)
- It is mandatory to submit an annual statement in form II on or before last day of May every year. In the case of the daily newspaper, an additional form AR-R can also be submitted.
Hope this article helpful for you regarding the RNI Registration and Certification in India.