RNI report shows 3.5% growth in publications in one year

New Delhi: The Government of India released the RNI report, "Press in India 2016-17" on Friday here in the Information and Broadcast ministry office which shows a significant growth rate of 3.58 per cent nationwide in publications. It is an annual publication of Registrar of Newspaper for India (RNI).

During this programme, the Union I & B Minister Smriti Irani asserted that there is a "map of progress" of the Indian newspaper industry in last one year, specially amongst the regional language publications.

"The report gave a comprehensive analysis of the contours of the growth for the industry specially the growth amongst regional language publications. In this digital era the report has a seminal importance and assumes importance for the student community as well," she mentioned.

The minister also categorically pointed out the importance of releasing this report digitally. "The data in the report should be categorized genre wise and the data on publications in Regional language should be analysed, for its growth and dispersal," Irani suggested.

RNI is mandated under Section 19 (G) of the PRB Act, 1867 to submit an Annual Report to the government every year on or before December 31. The Report is a compilation of the data available with RNI and the details submitted in the Annual Statements filed online by the publications across the country for the Financial year 2016-17. "Press in India presents an indicative picture of facts and trends in the Indian Print Media. The report is of keen interest to print media, media analysts and research scholars," the government release mentioned.