“The Registrar of Newspapers in India has already issued circulars and declared publication of newspapers without a valid RNI number as illegal. Permission of the RNI for publication of newspapers and magazines is mandatory. When the Committee pointed out the various provisions of the Press and Book Registration Act-1867, the managements of the newspapers were found to be speechless on account of their failure to have any satisfactory answer.

“However, they started publishing ‘applied for’ after RNI No. In such a situation, newspapers violating the rule should not be given government advertisement on regular basis, but they are getting advertisements in lieu of their praising the government.

“Under the Press and Book Registration Act-1867, the following rules are applicable for publishing a newspaper:

“Filing a declaration before the concerned district magistrate in the prescribed format, even before starting publication, Issuance of certificate by the concerned district magistrate accordingly
Getting permission from Registrar of Companies
Getting the newspaper registered in RNI

Many newspapers are violating not only the rules but also making money through unfair means. The issue is also under consideration in the Patna High Court. It is expected that many revelation may come into light in the year 2013. While hearing the criminal writ petition No -2951/2012 and 16763/2012, Justice Anjana Prakash on December 17, 2012, refused to interfere in the investigation being carried on in the case (445/2011) registered in Kotwali police station in Munger, and passed an order to complete investigation against Dainik Hindustan within three months.

“The court has taken cognizance of the allegation that newspapers are getting government advertisement in violation of certain rules. In the case under investigation, it was alleged that Dainik Hindustan got government advertisements worth Rs 200 crore which was in violation of the rules. Dainik Hindustan started publication of its Bhagalpur edition on August 3, 2001 and after some time they started publishing Munger edition, without following rules, the proof of which can also be seen in the Audit report no 195/2005-06 of the Department of Finance, Government of Bihar.”

“It was observed that Dainik Hindustan, printed and published from Bhagalpur and Munger, published RNI No 44348/86, between 2001 and June 30, 2011, the number which was originally allotted to Patna edition. From July 1, 2011 to April 16, 2012, it was replaced by ‘applied for’. Again on April 17, 2012, the newspaper published RNI no – BIHHIN/2011/41407.”

“Moreover, the court prima facie found the allegations to be true made in the case no -445/2011 registered in Kotwali police station in Munger, in which named accused are :
1. Shobhna Bharatiya, Chairperson, the Hindustan Media Ventures Ltd, New Delhi,
2. 2. Shashi Shekhar, Editor-in-Chief, Dainik Hindustan, New Delhi,
3. 3. A K Srivastav, Executive Editor, Hindustan, Patna edition,
4. 4. Binod Bandhu, Resident Editor, Hindustan, Bhagalpur edition,
and 5. Amit Chopra, Printer and Publisher, M/s Hindustan Media Ventures Ltd, New Delhi.

“The case was registered under section 420/471/476 of the IPC and 8 b, 14, and 15 of the Press and Book Registration act-1867.
“Justice Anjana Prakash has quoted line by line from the report of Kuldeep Narayan, the District Magistrate of Munger, in the para 12 of the order, that has exposed illegal publication of newspapers from 37 districts of the state, apart from Patna.

“The district magistrate of Munger has written in his report submitted to the Patna High Court, ‘I got the Bhagalpur, Munger and Lakhisarai editions of Dainik Hindustan today an found that the news published in those editions were different, the government advertisements were different, but they carried same name as their editor, printer and publisher, the same telephone and RNI numbers’.”

According to the report “Dainik Hindustan has recently got permission from RNI to print and publish the newspaper from Bhagalpur press. However, the proprietor and editor of the newspaper are openly printing, publishing, and circulating it as Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Shekhpura, Khagaria, Begusarai and several other district editions. The present RNI no being published in the Bhagalpur edition of Dainik Hindustan is BIHHIN /2011/41407.”

“RNI, New Delhi has allowed Prabhat Khabar to publish newspaper from Bhagalpur press and has allotted RNI No -2011/37188. However, this newspaper too is illegally using this number and printing, publishing and circulating its Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Shekhpura, Khagaria, Begusarai and other district editions, which is an offence.

“Registrar of newspapers, New Delhi, has given permission to Dainik Jagaran to publish the newspaper from Patna. However, Dainik Jagaran had been printing, publishing and circulating its Bhagalpur, Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Shekhpura, Khagaria, Begusarai and other district editions by using the same registration number for years and earning through government advertisements. Presently, this newspaper is printing RNI no as 'applied for'. Despite this fact, the Union Government and the Bihar Government are regularly giving advertisement to the newspaper for publication. It is an example of the lively culture of loot of the exchequer.”

The report also said that “several English and Urdu dailies has got permission to print their newspapers from Kolkata to be published from Patna. However, the same newspapers are getting their newspapers printed at Patna and circulating the same in all over the state. Urdu and English language newspapers are also illegally getting government advertisements. All these are done with the sole purpose of getting advertisements from the Union and the State governments.”