IN pursuance of the unanimous recommendation of the Newsprint Advisory Committee … the Government of India have decided that the existing control on the use of newsprint should be relaxed with effect from April 1, 1947, says a Press Note. The following scheme devised by the Indian and Eastern Newspaper Society and the Indian Languages Newspapers’ Association has been unanimously approved by the Newsprint Advisory Committee and is accepted by the Government. A revised Newsprint Control Order will be issued shortly to take effect from April 1, and the following will be its chief features:

(1) Permission from the Central Government will no longer be necessary for the printing or publication of any new daily newspaper or a weekly, fortnightly or monthly magazine on newsprint. Press regulations will, of course, continue. (2) The existing quota system will be abolished. Newspapers and magazines will be free to build up any paid circulation. … (3) Daily newspaper of standard size will be restricted to 60 pages a week for six-day publications and 70 pages a week for seven-day publications… . (4) The minimum price for a standard size daily newspaper publishing 48 pages or more in a six-day week or 56 pages or more in a seven-day week will be two annas and pro rata for other sizes…

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2022