Institutions Shaping Indian Journalism and Cartooning

Overview

Indian journalism and cartooning are shaped by a mix of statutory regulators, industry guilds, and professional self-regulatory bodies. These institutions govern press registration, media standards, broadcasting complaints, and the preservation of India’s cartooning heritage.

The Statutory Framework and Registration

The press in India is regulated through statutory provisions that cover publication registration, compliance, and ethical oversight.

• Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023: It came into force on March 1, 2024, repealing the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
• RNI to PRGI: Under the PRP Act, the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) was renamed the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI).
• Digital registration: Registration and compliance services are handled through the government’s Press Sewa Portal, which has digitized over 1.5 lakh legacy physical records.
• Security restrictions: The PRP Act debars any person convicted of terrorist acts, unlawful activities, or acts against national security from publishing any periodical.
• Press Council of India: The PCI functions as a statutory quasi-judicial watchdog under the Press Council Act, 1978.
• Current chairperson: Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai assumed charge for her second three-year term as PCI Chairperson on April 24, 2026.
• 15th Press Council: Its constitution remains incomplete due to vacant quotas for journalist-editors and working journalists.

Print and Digital Media Guilds

Alongside statutory regulation, several representative bodies articulate the interests of editors, publishers, journalists, and digital news platforms. These organisations also play a role in defending press freedom and professional standards.

• Press Club of India: Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty was elected its first woman President in December 2025 for the 2025–26 term.
• Office-bearers of the Press Club: Jatin Gandhi serves as Vice-President and Afzal Imam as Secretary General.
• Editors Guild of India: It is led by Sanjay Kapoor, Editor of Hardnews, who serves as President for 2025–26.
• Other office-bearers of EGI: Raghavan Srinivasan is General Secretary and Teresa Rehman is Treasurer.
• Indian Newspaper Society (INS): It is the central organisation of the Indian press.
• INS President: Vivek Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sanmarg Group, serves as President for 2025–26.
• Notable INS fact: He is the first INS president from eastern India in 32 years.
• Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA): It represents the interests of digital media houses.
• DNPA Chairperson: Puneet Gupt, Chief Operating Officer of Times Internet, serves for the 2026–2028 term, succeeding Mariam Mammen Mathew.

Broadcasting and Entertainment Regulators

Broadcast media in India is also governed by self-regulatory mechanisms, with separate bodies for news and general entertainment content.

• News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA): It represents private television news and digital broadcasters.
• NBDA President: Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV, serves as President for 2025–26.
• Vice-President of NBDA: M.V. Shreyams Kumar holds the post.
• News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA): It is the independent self-regulatory body created by the NBDA to decide ethical complaints.
• NBDSA Chairperson: It is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice A.K. Sikri.
• Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF): It is headed by President Kevin Vaz, CEO of Entertainment at JioStar.
• IBDF Secretary General: Avinash Pandey succeeded Siddharth Jain on October 1, 2025.
• Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC): It is the independent self-regulatory body set up by the IBDF for non-news general entertainment complaints.
• BCCC Chairperson: Justice Gita Mittal chairs the council.

Institutions Preserving Cartooning Art

Indian political cartooning is supported by dedicated institutions that preserve archives, document works, and encourage contemporary cartoonists. These bodies help protect the legacy of caricature as an important form of public commentary.

• Indian Institute of Cartoonists (IIC): Established in Bengaluru in 2001, it works to preserve the legacy of caricature in India.
• Leadership of IIC: Ashok Kheny serves as Chairman and V.G. Narendra as Managing Trustee.
• CartoonistsIndia: The IIC publishes this annual volume to document the works of veteran and contemporary Indian cartoonists.
• Maya Kamath Memorial International Cartoon Contest: It is organised by the IIC every year.
• 2026 theme: The exhibition showcased submissions on Gender Justice/Women’s Rights.
• Kerala Cartoon Academy (KCA): It is a prominent state-level body for cartooning.
• KCA leadership: Sudheernath is Chairman for the 2025–27 term, with A. Satheesh as Secretary and Sajeev Balakrishnan as Treasurer.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Statutory vs self-regulatory: The Press Council of India is a statutory body, while NBDSA and BCCC are self-regulatory bodies created by industry associations.
• New press law: The PRP Act, 2023 replaced the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 from March 1, 2024.
• Digital shift: Press registration and compliance now operate through the Press Sewa Portal under the PRGI framework.
• Security bar: The PRP Act restricts publication rights for persons convicted of terrorist acts, unlawful activities, or acts against national security.
• PCI status: The Press Council of India continues as a quasi-judicial watchdog under the Press Council Act, 1978.
• Important firsts: Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty became the first woman President of the Press Club of India.
• Cartooning institutions: The Indian Institute of Cartoonists and Kerala Cartoon Academy are key bodies preserving India’s cartooning tradition.