RNI Registration

RNI stands for Registrar of Newspapers for India. It registered newspapers and periodicals under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 replaced that Act from 1 March 2024, and the office became the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI). Title verification and registration, which used to be separate steps, now happen in one online application on the Press Sewa portal.

You suggest one or more titles in order of preference. A title must not be the same as, or similar to, a title already held by another periodical in the same language anywhere in India, or in any language in the same state, and it must follow PRGI’s title guidelines. PRGI checks the titles as part of the registration application, so choose distinctive options.

• Details and ID of the owner and the publisher, with the owner’s authorisation of the publisher
• Proposed titles, language, periodicity and place of publication
• Details of the editor and the printing press
• Declarations in the formats provided on the Press Sewa portal
• For a company or society: registration documents and a board resolution

The printer must separately inform PRGI and the district authority on the Press Sewa portal within 30 days of starting a printing press.

1. Create an account on the Press Sewa portal as the owner, and authorise the publisher.
2. Fill in the application with the titles, language, periodicity, place of publication, editor and printing press details.
3. Upload the documents and pay the ₹1,000 fee. You get an application reference number.
4. Correct any mistakes within the five-day window after submission; no changes are possible after that.
5. The application goes to PRGI and to the Specified Authority, usually the District Magistrate, who has 60 days to give comments.
6. PRGI raises any deficiencies on the portal, which you must fix within 30 days.
7. PRGI issues the certificate of registration, and you can start publishing.

The Specified Authority has up to 60 days to comment, and PRGI flags deficiencies within about seven working days of receiving the application. A complete application with a clearly distinct title is usually registered within two to three months; deficiencies or title objections add time.

Fees are paid online through Bharat Kosh, as set by the Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules, 2024.

The certificate of registration does not have to be renewed. The publisher must file an annual statement on the Press Sewa portal for each financial year; failing to do so within one year of the end of that year can lead to a penalty. Changes to the title, language, periodicity, place, editor or printing press need a revision application.