National Press Day is annually observed across India on 16th November to commemorate the day on which the Press Council of India (PCI) started its function as the moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintains high standards and is not fettered by any form of influence or threats.
- The day celebrate the importance of a free and responsible press in a democratic society.
- The day also recognises the role of Press as the 4th pillar of democracy.
Theme:
The theme for National Press Day 2023 is “Media in the Era of Artificial Intelligence”.
- The theme highlights the importance of the press in adapting to the changing media landscape and using new technologies to reach a wider audience.
Background:
i.The 1st Press Commission held in 1954 concluded that a statutory authority body with people connected with the industry should be created to maintain professional ethics in journalism.
ii.Following this, the Press Council of India(PCI) was established on 4th July 1966 under the Press Council Act of 1978 and started its functions on 16th November 1966.
Note: Justice Janardan Raghunath Mudholkar (JR Mudholkar) was appointed as the 1st chairman of PCI. He served as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 1960 to 1966.
World Press Freedom Index 2023:
i.According to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières – RSF)’s 21th World Press Freedom Index (WPFI 2023), India is ranked 161st out of 180 countries with a score of 36.62.
ii.Norway topped the list (for the seventh consecutive year) with the score of 95.18, followed by Ireland (2nd) and Denmark (3rd).
Events 2023:
PCI organised an event to celebrate National Press Day 2023 in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.The event was presided by Justice Rajana Prakash Desai, Chairperson, PCI.
The Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar graced the event as chief guest while Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) and Minister of States(MoS) L. Murugan, MIB were the Guests of Honour.
About Press Council of India(PCI):
PCI is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority functioning as a watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press.
Chairman– Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established in – 1966
