REGISTERED No. D. 221
रजिस्ट्री सं ० डी० 221
भारत काराजपत्र The Gazette of India
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II--खण्ड 2
174
PART II-- Section2
प्राधिकार से प्रकाशित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
नई विल्लो, सोमवार , नवम्बर 19 , 1973 /कार्तिक 28, 1895
सं० 61] No. 61 ]
NEW DELHI , MONDAY , NOVEMBER 19 , 1973 / KARTIKA 28 , 1895
इस भाग में भिन्न पृष्ठ संख्या की जाती है जिससे कि यह अलग संकलन के रूप में रखा जा सके । Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may he filed as a separate compilation .
LOK SABНА
The following Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on the 19th November , 1973 :-
BILL NO . 89 OF 1973
A Bill further to amend the Press Council Act , 1965
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Twenty- fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows :-
1. (1) This Act may be called the Press Council ( Amendment ) Act, 1973 .
Short title and com- mence- ment.
(2) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 27th day of September, 1973 .
34 of 1965 .
Amend- ment of section 5 .
2. In section 5 of the Press Council Act , 1965 ( hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), for sub - section ( 14) , the following sub- section shall be substituted . namely : -
" ( 14) Notwithstanding the expiry of the period of office speci- fied by sub - section ( 1 ) , the Chairman and other members holding office as such on the 30th day of September . 1973. shall continue to hold such office until the 30th day of June . 1974:
Provided that nothing in this sub - section shall apply to a mem- ber-
(a) who ceases to be a member before the 30th day of June . 1974, by reason of the provisions of sub - section ( 2 ) ; or
(901 ) THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY
[PART II-- 902
(b) whose term of office expires before that date by reason of the provisions of sub - section ( 3 ) ; or
(c) who is deemed to have vacated his seat before that date by reason of the provisions of sub - section (3A ) ; or
(d) who is deemed to have vacated his office before that date by reason of the provisions of sub - section (4) . " .
3. ( 1 ) The Press Council ( Amendment ) Ordinance , 1973 , is hereby 2 of 1973 . repealed .
Repeal and saving .
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal , anything done or any action taken under the principal Act , as amended by the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the principal Act , as amned- ed by this Act .
903 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY
SEC. 2 ]
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
In pursuance of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee of members of Parliament on the Press Council , the Press Council Act , 1965, was amended in March, 1970, to provide inter alia for the setting up of a Nominating Committee consisting of the Chairman of the Coun- cil of States , the Chief Justice of India and the Speaker of the House of the People for nominating the Chairman and certain other members of the Press Council in accordance with the procedure laid down in that Act.
2. The Press Council was reconstituted on the 1st October , 1970. on the basis of the nominations made by the Nominating Committee . There were certain criticisms about the composition of the Press Council as so reconstituted. The members of the Nominating Committee felt that it would not be desirable to expose their respective offices to any possi ble criticism and that it would be advisable to save their offices from being drawn into political or other controversies . They , therefore , sug- gested that the Act should be suitably amended to provide for an alter- native machinery for the selection of the Chairman and members of the Press Council . This suggestion has been accepted by the Gov ernment .
3. As the present composition of the Nominating Committee was adopted in pursuance of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee of members of Parliament , it is proposed to consult members of Parlia ment representing different parties and shades of opinion in order to arrive at a consensus on the machinery that should be set up for the nomination of the Chairman and members of the Press Council before action is taken to amend the Act for the purpose. The term of office of the Chairman and members of the Press Council was to expire on the 30th September, 1973. As it would take some time for discussions to be held with the members of Parliament and for the amendment of the Press Council Act , it was considered necessary to extend the term of office of the Chairman and members of the Press Council . As Parlia- ment was not in session , an Ordinance was promulgated on the 27th September , 1973 , extending the term of office of the Chairman and members of the Press Council up to the 30th June, 1974 .
4. The Bill seeks to replace the aforesaid Ordinance.
NEW DELHI;
I. K. GUJRAL .
The 6th November, 1973 , THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY
[PART II-
904
PRESIDENT'S RECOMMENDATION UNDER ARTICLE 117 OF THE CONSTITUTION
[Copy of letter No. 12 / 27 / 73-Press , dated the 9th November , 1973 from Shri I. K. Gujral , Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Secretary , Lok Sabha . ]
The President of India having been informed of the subject matter of the Press Council ( Amendment) Bill, 1973 , recommends under clause (3) of article 117 of the Constitution of India the consideration of the Bill in the Lok Sabha , THE GAZETTE OF INDIA FXTRAORDINARY
SEC. 2 ]
905
FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM
Clause 2 of the Bill which seeks to substitute sub -section ( 1A ) of section 5 of the principal Act by a new sub- section proposes to extend the term of office of the Chairman and members of the Press Council from the 1st October , 1973, to the 30th June , 1974. Provision had already been made in the current year's budget for Rs . 3.9 lakhs towards the Press Council of India out of which Rs . 1.9 lakhs will be spent for the remaining period of this financial year . This amount would , in any case, have been incurred if the same or some other Chairman and mem- bers had been re - appointed or appointed to their respective offices . In this view of the matter , no additional expenditure , either recurring or non -recurring , would be incurred if the Bill is passed and brought into operation.
S. L. SHAKDHER , Secretary-General
PRINTED BY THE MANAGER , GOVERN MAMUNT OF INDIA PRESS , MINTO ROAD , NEW DELFI AND PUBLISHED DY THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLICATIONS , DELHI , 1973