Press Council of India reconstituted with 14-member panel under Justice Desai

The Press Council of India has been reconstituted with a fresh set of members representing diverse sectors of the media industry and parliament. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a retired judge, will head the reconstituted council in its oversight role.

The 14-member body comprises five members of parliament, reflecting legislative representation in the council's functioning. Additionally, six representatives from newspaper owners have been nominated to ensure the print media sector's interests are represented in the council's deliberations and decisions.

To provide expertise across multiple domains, the council includes three specialists drawn from the Bar Council of India, the University Grants Commission, and the Sahitya Akademi. This composition is intended to bring legal, academic, and literary perspectives to the council's work on press standards and journalistic ethics.

The Press Council of India serves as the primary self-regulatory body for the print media sector in the country, addressing complaints against publications and maintaining professional standards within the industry. The reconstitution of the council with this broad-based membership aims to ensure balanced representation across stakeholders involved in media regulation and journalism.