Press Council of India operating at half strength, without a single working journalist or newspaper editor

India's leading media watchdog, the Press Council of India (PCI), has been operating with only half of its mandated staff for over a year, without any working journalists or newspaper editors. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has yet to formally announce the names of 13 of the 28 PCI members, including six editors and seven journalists, despite nominating them earlier this year.

Notably, PCI had been without a chairman for nearly four months until Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a retired Supreme Court judge, was reappointed in April. The PCI, governed by the Press Council Act of 1978, requires a chairperson and 28 members serving three-year terms. These include six newspaper owners, one news agency representative, five MPs, and three individuals with expertise in education, science, law, literature, or culture.

Additionally, the Council mandates six newspaper editors and seven journalists. Despite this, PCI has only appointed 14 of the 28 members, comprising five MPs, three nominees, and six newspaper owners/managers since last year. PCI has communicated with the I&B Ministry multiple times since May for the notification of the 13 members, emphasizing the urgency to fully constitute the Council and restore its functionality.

This issue has also been raised in Parliament by BJD legislator Sasmit Patra, who emphasized the significance of fully constituted PCI for upholding democratic values and media accountability.