New Delhi, Nov 16: India celebrated National Press Day on November 16, commemorating the establishment of the Press Council of India (PCI) and highlighting the essential role of a free, responsible press in a democratic society.

According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), this year’s observance highlights not only the historical evolution of India’s media institutions but also significant reforms aimed at modernising regulation and strengthening press freedom. PIB noted that the country’s media landscape has expanded dramatically over the past two decades. The number of registered publications has grown from 60,143 in 2004–05 to 1.54 lakh in 2024–25, reflecting the sector’s scale, reach, and continued relevance.

National Press Day marks the creation of the PCI in 1966, following recommendations of the First Press Commission (1956), which first proposed an independent body to protect press freedom and promote ethical journalism. Reconstituted under the Press Council Act, 1978, the Council remains an autonomous watchdog mandated to preserve press independence and uphold professional standards.

Awards and Traditions

Every year, the PCI presents the National Awards for Excellence in Journalism, recognising outstanding contributions across various fields. The Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award remains the highest honour. A commemorative Souvenir released on this day carries messages from national leaders and analyses from academics and media experts.

A Modern Governance Framework

PIB underlined that India’s media governance ecosystem today comprises multiple statutory bodies, landmark reforms, and digital interventions designed to protect journalist rights and streamline regulatory processes. Originally known as the Registrar of Newspapers for India and established following the First Press Commission, the PRGI—now functioning under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023—oversees periodical registration and remains central to the growth of print media.

Press Council of India

The PCI continues to adjudicate complaints on press freedom violations and ethical breaches. It also issues advisory norms, including recent updates on reporting natural disasters and ensuring fair representation of the LGBTQ+ community. The Council has signed cooperation agreements with press bodies in Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and runs internship programmes to build awareness of press responsibilities among journalism students.

Legal Reforms: The PRP Act and Digital Transformation

A major highlight of this year’s National Press Day is the government’s push to modernise media registration. The PRP Act, 2023—implemented from March 1, 2024—replaces the 19th-century Press and Registration of Books Act. As PIB emphasises, the new law introduces a fully online, integrated system for title allotment and registration, eliminates physical interfaces, reduces compliance burdens, and decriminalises procedural lapses. The accompanying PRP Rules, 2024, detail the operational framework.

Press Sewa Portal

Built under the PRP Act by PRGI, the Press Sewa Portal has digitised the entire registration process. PIB reports strong early adoption:
• 40,000 publishers onboarded
• 37,000 annual statements filed
• 3,000 printing presses registered within six months

Key features include e-sign authentication, direct payment gateways, QR-coded digital certificates, real-time application tracking, and an AI-powered chatbot to assist users. A dedicated module also allows printing presses to update their details online.

Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC)

Established in 1965 with UNESCO support, IIMC has grown into a premier institution training media professionals. It has conducted 700 courses for over 15,000 participants from India and abroad, expanded into multiple regional campuses, and introduced programmes in languages such as Urdu, Odia, Marathi and Malayalam. In 2024, all IIMC campuses were granted “Deemed to be University” status, enabling them to confer degrees, including doctorates.

Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS)

Launched in 2001 and revised in 2019, the JWS provides financial support to journalists and their families facing hardship. Assistance ranges from ₹5 lakh in cases of death or permanent disability to aid for treatment of serious ailments and accident-related injuries, subject to eligibility conditions.

Labour and Social Security Laws

The Working Journalists Act, 1955, regulates service conditions in the newspaper industry, while the Employees’ Provident Funds (1952) and ESI Act (1948) extend social security benefits to print and electronic media workers.

In its message, PIB said National Press Day serves as a reminder of the press’s “enduring responsibility to inform, educate and hold power accountable” and of the state’s duty to protect media freedom. With the PRP Act and Press Sewa Portal now in place, the government says it aims to create a transparent, technology-driven ecosystem that strengthens publishers, improves regulatory efficiency and upholds ethical journalism. As India celebrates National Press Day 2025, the country’s media institutions—historic and newly reformed—stand at the intersection of tradition, digital transformation, and a renewed commitment to democratic values. (Source Press Information Bureau)

Gaza, Nov 16: Dozens of volunteers began cleaning the streets of Gaza City, braving the rainy weather to restore vital infrastructure and remove rubble and debris left by the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, as part of a broader volunteer campaign.

Gaza Municipality launched the campaign in partnership with the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture and the Palestinian NGO Network, aiming to “shine a light of hope for community participation in construction and reconstruction,” according to a statement published by the municipality on its official Facebook page.

Hosny Muhanna, Gaza Municipality’s public relations officer, told Xinhua that the campaign aims to remove waste and rubble, plant trees along the streets, and restore beauty to the war-torn city.

For Yahya al-Sarraj, mayor of Gaza City, the campaign was launched to prove that the Palestinian people “will remain on their land,” and that all Israeli attempts to “break them” will fail.

“When we see young people, men, children, and the elderly participating in this campaign, it sends a message to the world that Gaza is capable of life,” al-Sarraj said during his participation in the campaign.

Echoing the mayor, Amjad al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, said the campaign is the beginning of the path toward a larger goal of removing 60 million tons of rubble covering the Gaza Strip as a result of the war, in order to rebuild Gaza City “better than it was” before the war, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ayed Abu Ramadan, head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, said during his speech at the campaign that Gaza has been subjected to killing and destruction over the past two years, but has also proven its ability to “rise from the rubble again.”

Volunteer Ibrahim Hassan, 30, from Gaza City, said he participated in the campaign because he is certain that Gaza will only return to life “by the hands of its own people.”

“Life must return to Gaza, and we must begin rebuilding it, even if it takes generations of young people and children,” Hassan added, as he carried a pickaxe to remove rubble from one of Gaza City’s main streets.

For her part, volunteer Hanan Obeid, wearing a face mask as she removed piles of garbage from a street, said, “I am very proud to participate in this campaign,” explaining that it is everyone’s duty in the city to contribute to this campaign in order to quickly restore life to Gaza.

The campaign comes at a time when the Gaza Strip is suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis, amid warnings of an environmental and health crisis due to the accumulation of waste near areas where displaced people are sheltering.

Alaa al-Batta, deputy head of the Union of Municipalities in the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua that 700,000 tons of waste are piling up in makeshift dumps, which the municipalities in the enclave are unable to handle due to fuel and equipment shortages.

Damascus, Nov 16: Israeli incursions in southern Syria have surged in recent weeks, with more than 30 recorded in the first half of November, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitoring group said on Saturday that Israeli troops carried out ground penetrations, detained civilians and soldiers, bulldozed roads and farmland, and set up temporary military checkpoints in Quneitra and Daraa provinces. It called the activity an “unprecedented surge” and noted it occurred “in the absence of any formal response” from Damascus, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Observatory said the raids and daily violations underscore “mounting security challenges along the southern border,” where Israeli forces have increased their presence since late 2024.

Israel has warned that southern Syria must not become “another southern Lebanon” and has threatened “painful blows” against armed groups or Syrian forces approaching the frontier. In mid-2025, the Israel Defense Forces established at least nine permanent outposts inside Syrian territory and created a 15-kilometer “zone of control.”

The escalation intensified in July after Israeli strikes and raids followed clashes in the Druze-majority province of Sweida. Israel said it would continue to “operate forcefully” until “perceived threats” were neutralised.

Despite condemnation from the United Nations, Egypt, and Türkiye over violations of Syrian sovereignty, Israeli officials maintain their actions are defensive and say Syrian authorities lack full control of the south.