RNI Registration

RNI or the Registrar of Newspapers for India was introduced in 1956 by the amendment of PRB (Press and Registration of Books) Act. This statutory body ensures the maintenance of Registrar of Newspapers, issue certificate to RNI registration, interpretation of the annual statements shared by the newspaper publishers, ensuring that the publishing of newspapers are done according to the PRB Act, validating circulation claims and other functions that are non-statutory.

This article furnishes detailed information about the procedure for acquiring RNI registration in India for publications.

PRB Act, 1867 and Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956 administer the publishing and printing of newspapers as well as periodicals in India. According to the rule, no newspaper or periodical can use a title that has been already used by another newspaper irrespective of the fact that it has been published in an other language. This can only be done if both the published newspapers or periodicals are owned by the same person. Press Registrar or RNI has been appointed by the government for maintaining the record of all the published newspapers and periodicals in India. The RNI Registration can not be furnished for agencies such as news agencies, coaching material or electronic publications.

Procedure – RNI Registration

The steps for the registration are as follows:

Verifying the availability of the title –

The applicant needs to submit an application with the correct format and required details to the concerned authority for verifying the availability of the title. A title verification letter is issued to the applicant after the title has been approved by the Registrar of Newspaper.

Registration of the title –

The registration of title has to be filed by the owner of the publication within two years of receiving the verification letter.

The registration of the title should be same as the verification of title which has been issued.

RNI Registration for First Publication – Procedure

The publication owner needs to file an Authentication of Declaration with the correct format to the administrating authority. The owner can continue the procedure for acquiring RNI registration for the first publication. According to the PRB Act, 1867, Section 5(5), the first issue of publication for the weekly or daily periodicity has to be completed within 42 days of authentication of declaration and 90 days for fortnightly or above periodicity, failing the cases another revised declaration needs to be filed.

Compliance for obtaining RNI registration – First publication

The printing of the publication should be carried out in the mentioned press in the declaration.
The title should be showed using the uniform font or letter size horizontally or vertically not having a difference more than 25% in the masthead to ensure its peculiarity.
Bilingual or multilingual publications can display the titles in any one language in the masthead.
The periodicity of publication is not apart of the verified title and hence, should not be displayed in the masthead.
The title should be displayed in English/Hindi even if the language of title is in any other language.
The masthead should consist of necessary details like date/month/year, volume and issue number, price, periodicity and city of publication, language of publication.
The title, date/month/year of publication and page number should be showed on each page.
The name of Editor mentioned in the declaration should be the same as the name in the imprint line. “Printed by, Published by, Printed at, Published from and in behalf of” has to be mentioned in the imprint line.
The imprint line must be legible according to the PRB Act, Section 3 and have a visible font line.

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