RNI

PROCEDURE/guidelines FOR registration

STEP 1: VERIFICATION OF TITLE
- The publisher should get the required title verified after applying online as per the procedure and guidelines for title verification.
STEP 2: AUTHENTICATION OF DECLARATION
- After downloading the title verification letter from RNI website, the same should be presented to forwarding authority concerned (DM/DC/SDM/DCP/JCP/CMM etc.) along with properly filled declaration (Form-I) for authentication.
- If publisher and printer are different persons, then separate declarations from both publisher and printer are required.
- If place of publication and printing press are in different districts then separate declarations are required from both the districts
- The publisher should file declaration from the district of place of publication and printer should file declaration from the district of printing press
STEP 3: PUBLICATION OF VOLUME/YEAR-1 ISSUE-1
- Under section 5 (5) of PRB Act 1867, volume/year-1 issue-1 should be brought within 42 days of authentication of declaration, if periodicity is daily or weekly.
- If periodicity is fortnightly or above, volume/year-1 issue-1 should be brought out within 90 days of authentication of declaration.
- If place of publication and printing press are in different districts, then the date of authentication of place of publication declaration filed by the publisher will be considered for calculating 42/90 days for beginning of volume-1 issue-1.
- In case volume-1 issue- 1 is not brought out within the required time period, a revised declaration should be filed and volume-1 issue-1 should be brought out within the required period from the date of authentication of revised declaration.
- The publication should be printed in the press mentioned in the declaration.
- The publication should primarily contain news/views/articles etc and in case of bilingual/multilingual publications, news/views/articles etc should be brought out in all the languages of the publication.
GUIDELINES TO PRINT MASTHEAD
- To ensure distinctiveness of the title, it should be displayed in the masthead, as verified and should not resemble/imitate any existing title.
- The title shall be displayed in uniform font/letter size in mast head of the publication. The difference in font/letter size should not be more than 25%.
- The title shall be displayed either horizontally or vertically.
- In case of bilingual/multilingual publications the title in the masthead should be displayed in anyone of the languages of publication.
- Periodicity should not be mentioned along with the title in the masthead if it is not part of the verified title.
- If title displayed in the masthead is in language other than English or Hindi, the same should also be displayed in English/Hindi (It should be as verified and not translation and it can be in smaller font size).
- The masthead space should also carry dateline containing volume and issue number, date/month/year, periodicity, price and publication city, in the language of publication and also in English/Hindi in case of publications in languages other than English and Hindi.
- Each page should display the title, page number, and date/month/year of publication.
GUIDELINES FOR IMPRINT LINE
- The imprint line should be printed legibly as “Printed by___ Published by___ on behalf of ___ (name of owner) __ and Printed at ___( name and complete address of printing press)___ and published from ___ complete address of place of publication___ Editor ___.
- In case of publications in languages other than English or Hindi, the imprint line should also be displayed in English/Hindi for reference. It can be in smaller font size.
- The name of Editor given in the imprint line should be same as mentioned in the declaration. Editor-in-chief, Sub Editor, Chief Editor, Resident Editor etc should not be mentioned as a part of the imprint line.
- As per section 3 of PRB Act 1867 the imprint line should be legible. Hence, the font size and placement of imprint line should be such that it is legible and clearly visible. There is no specific place recommended for imprint line however, bottom of page 3 or last page of the publication should be preferred so that it can be easily located.
STEP 3: SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS TO RNI FOR REGISTRATION
- After downloading the title verification letter from RNI website, the same should be presented to forwarding authority concerned (DM/DC/SDM/DCP/JCP/CMM etc.) along with properly filled declaration (Form-I) for authentication and other required documents.
- Refer the list of documents required for registration of newspaper given on the website.

office of Registrar of Newspapers for India