New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday launched four web portals which seek to foster a “more conducive” business environment for news publishers and TV channels and also enhance transparency and efficiency in government communication and regulatory process.
The four portals include ‘Press Sewa’ for registration of newspapers and periodicals, ‘NaViGate Bharat’ for videos on the entire gamut of the government’s development-related and citizen welfare-oriented measures. The other two portals are for registration of local cable operators (LCO) and a transparent empanelment, media planning and e-Billing System.
The minister also released an annual report, titled Press in India, for the year 2022-23 at an event here.
Addressing the event, Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on transformative governance and economic reforms has “greatly improved” the ease of doing business in India. “This has led to increased investment from both existing businesses and new entrepreneurs”.
The startup ecosystem, in particular, has flourished, with a significant increase in the number of startups and unicorns, he stated.
“Prime Minister Modi made it easier to start a business in India… Our step is also in that direction,” he said referring to the launch of the four portals.
Press Sewa Portal, developed under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 (PRP Act, 2023) by the Press Registrar General of India is a monumental step towards complete automation of the process for newspaper registration and other related processes, he added.
“Earlier, it used to take years to register newspapers and periodicals. Now, it will take only 60 days,” Thakur said.
Speaking at the event, I&B Ministry secretary Sanjay Jaju said the initiatives rolled out by the ministry will help the government streamline and increase its engagement with the media.
These will foster not just transparency and innovation, but also help improve the functioning of the departments, he noted.
