PRESS & PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE
Parliament, the Government and the people communicate with each other through the Press and other mass media, which includes the electronic media, viz. television, radio and film. By law and convention, what applies to the Press applies to the other media as well. Among the mass media, the Press plays an important role in parliamentary life. The Press has two main aspects, as a part of what is known as information industry and as a factor in the formulation of opinion. In both respects, it has to act with responsibility to be effective or reliable. The Press is still the main medium of mass communication. Besides its educative role, it can help in exposing the weaknesses of the democratic system and point out how these can be rectified. Often the Press struggles hard to unearth the administrative lapses, scandals and shortcomings, gives expression to public grievances and difficulties and reports on how policies are being carried out. Most of the raw material for parliamentary questions, motions and debates comes from the daily Press and this is an important instrument on which a member of Parliament relies. Simultaneously the Press keeps the people informed of what is happening in Parliament. This two-way traffic enables the Press to maintain an important and strong link between the public and the Parliament.
It is of paramount national importance that the proceedings of Parliament are communicated to the people who are interested in knowing as to what laws are passed by the Parliament. The Press can discharge this function effectively only if it enjoys, what is termed as "Freedom of the Press".
Freedom of the Press has not been expressly provided for in the Constitution, but is implicit in the Fundamental Right pertaining to the Freedom of Speech and Expression guaranteed to the citizens under article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India. The term "Freedom of Speech and Expression", includes the liberty to propagate not only one’s views but also the right to print matters which have been borrowed from someone else or are printed under the direction of that person and also includes the liberty of publication and circulation. Every right carries with it a responsibility. Likewise, every freedom carries with it an obligation. It is primarily for the Press itself to determine what are its corresponding responsibilities and obligations.
Considering the space that is devoted in the Print media to parliamentary matters and the volume of information that is given, the Press in India fulfils a great need, felt alike by the members of Parliament and the public. It is through the Press and other mass media that Parliament enjoys so much publicity and it is through them that Parliament gathers information which helps it to supervise and control the Executive effectively. The Press is often called an extension of Parliament.
Privileges of the Press
In its relations with Parliament, the Press enjoys some privileges. Indeed, our Constitution confers absolute immunity from proceedings in any court of law on all persons connected with the publication of the proceedings of either House of Parliament, if such a publication is made by or under the authority of the House. The statutory protection given in this regard applies to the publication in newspapers or broadcasts by wireless telegraphy of substantially true reports of any proceedings of either House of Parliament, provided such reports are for the public good and are not actuated by malice. It has also to be noted that this protection has been given within the overall limitation that Parliament has the power to control and, if necessary, to prohibit the publication of its debates or proceedings and to punish for the violation of its orders. Generally, there are no restrictions imposed on reporting of the proceedings of the Houses. But, if the proceedings of the Houses or for that matter, of its Committees are reported mala fide or if there is any gross misrepresentation or suppression of the speeches of particular members, it is certainly a breach of privilege and contempt of the House warranting punishment. Similarly, the Press cannot publish the proceedings or evidence given before or any document presented to a Parliamentary Committee before these have been laid on the Table of the House. The Press is not expected to disclose the proceedings or decisions of a secret sitting of the House till the ban or secrecy has been lifted. It has also to ensure that portions of debates expunged from the proceedings of the House by the Presiding Officer are not published. In other words, there can be no freedom of the Press at the cost of privileges of Parliament.
Press & Public Relations Wing
The Press and Public Relations Wing, a constituent unit of LARRDIS was set up in April 1956 to (i) cater to the needs of the Press and provide all possible facilities to enable them to cover the day-to-day proceedings of Lok Sabha and, (ii) establish better liaison with the Press correspondents covering Parliament and the various Government publicity organisations and communication media for the proper publicity of parliamentary and other activities of Lok Sabha.
The functions of the Press and Public Relations Wing are:
(i) All work connected with the Press Gallery involving issue of Press Gallery passes for Session periods, admission of Newspapers/News agencies/Electronic media to Press Gallery, processing requests for Central Hall facilities and grant of Press Gallery passes under the category of "Long & Distinguished Service".
(ii) Liaison with Government publicity organisations and communication media, Press correspondents, newspapers and other bodies.
(iii) Publicity of Parliament’s activities through Press Releases/communiqués. Photo/TV coverage of various functions organised and held in Parliament House/Parliament House Annexe/Parliament Library Building. Setting up of Media Centres in case of international conferences, Seminars, Symposia etc.
(iv) Publication of pamphlets, folders, charts etc. on various parliamentary activities and their distribution to general public.
(v) Supply of information and publicity materials relating to the work of Parliament to the general public, institutions, research scholars and others.
(vi) Display of tele-printer news for members of Parliament in Parliament precincts.
(vii) Maintenance of a Library for the Press. \
(viii) Grant of permission to the Ministries/Departments, etc. for holding exhibitions in the precincts of Parliament in their specified field of activities for members of Parliament.
(ix) Grant of permission for taking film shots of Parliament House/Parliament House Annexe/ Parliament Library Building.
(x) Publishing of Lok Sabha Calendars.
(xi) Grant of Research Fellowships for writing books and monographs on subjects relating to Parliament and State Legislatures.
Media Coverage
Publicity arrangements through print and electronic media of the parliamentary functions including calls on the Speaker, Lok Sabha; Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha; Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha by foreign dignitaries/ parliamentary delegations; meetings between foreign elegations with Indian MPs; visits abroad of Indian Parliamentary Delegations; National and International Parliamentary Conferences, Seminars, Symposia, Press Conferences of Speaker, Lok Sabha; Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha; Chairmen of Parliamentary Committees; Unveiling of Statues/Portraits; Floral Tributes to the National Leaders at their portraits installed in the Central Hall, addresses of dignitaries in PH/PHA/PLB, Release of books by Speaker, Lok Sabha and other dignitaries and other functions attended by them are also made. Special invitation letters/ passes are issued to the correspondents/photographers to cover the functions. Press Releases and photographs of all the functions/meetings held in Parliament House Complex are issued to media for wider coverage. The relevant Press clippings of all these functions are maintained for record.
Doordarshan and All Indi a Radio are particularly requested for telecasting/broadcasting of all parliamentary functions held in the Parliament House precincts. Photo coverage of all the functions is made through Photo Division, Photo Sections of PTI and UNI, official photographers and photographers accredited to Press Information Bureau. Photographs of all these functions are obtained for publicity/ presentation/record.
In the case of International Parliamentary Conferences/ Seminars/Symposia held in New Delhi, all the abovementioned arrangements are made in close cooperation and in consultation with the other concerned Branches of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, Secretariats of International Organisations and the Press Information Bureau. In addition, the following arrangements are especially made with regard to International Parliamentary Conferences/ Seminars/Symposia:
(i) Media Centre at the venue of the Conference/Seminar/Symposia for providing necessary functional facilities to all the Media persons is set up besides maintaining liaison with them.
(ii) Photo-laminated passes/special passes are issued to the accredited correspondents and photographers.
(iii) Curtain Raiser programme of the Speaker, Lok Sabha on the eve of the function.
(iv) Press Conferences of the Speaker, Lok Sabha— one on the eve of the Parliamentary Conference/ Seminar/Symposia and another after the conclusion of the event.
(v) Meetings of the Secretary-General, Lok Sabha with the media persons about the publicity arrangements made.
(vi) Meetings of the Secretary-General, Lok Sabha with the Secretaries-General of other countries participating in the Parliamentary Conference(s)/ Seminar(s)/Symposia.
(vii) Collection of all the photographs relating to Parliamentary Conferences/Seminars/meetings etc. and supplying/sending the same to the Media/Daily Bulletin Desk of LARRDIS.
(viii) Collection of Press clippings pertaining to the Parliamentary Conference/Seminar/Symposium etc. for the various post-Conference uses.
Facilities to Media
Parliament’s relation with the media is very cordial. The Press & Public Relations Wing maintains a close liaison with the Press and the various Government publicity organisations and communication media for the dissemination of information to the public on the business transacted by the Lok Sabha and also by its Committees.
This Wing provides all facilities to the correspondents of the mass media covering Parliament. These facilities include allotment of three Press rooms in Parliament House for media representatives, supply of parliamentary papers, daily agenda, Committee reports, other papers laid on the Table of the House, etc. to all accredited correspondents of parliament (about 450 in number). Xerox and fax facilities for functional use are also available to media persons free of cost. The facility regarding simultaneous interpretation of the proceedings of Parliament are also available to the correspondents of mass media, in the Press Galleries of both the Houses of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A separate Work Station for mediapersons with 10 computers, one TV set and a telephone connection has been provided in Parliament Library Building to enable them to file their stories on parliamentary proceedings, events and activities.
Press Gallery
The Press Gallery of Lo k Sabha has a seating capacity for 120 mediapersons. However, out of these, 57 seats in the first two rows are allotted to specific media organisations.
All matters concerning the Press Gallery of Lok Sabha including accreditation of newspapers, correspondents, increase in the quota of Press Gallery passes, allotment of seats, functional facilities to Correspondents who cover the proceedings of the House, are dealt with by this Wing.
However, all cases relating to the Press Gallery are put up for consideration of the Press Advisory Committee.
The Press Advisory Committee consisting of senior representatives of the Press having regular Press Gallery passes, is nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha every year. PPR Wing provides secretarial assistance to the Press Advisory Committee which generally comprises 21 members. The members nominated to the Committee are from amongst the representatives of the media accredited to the Lok Sabha Press Gallery. Four members of the Committee are nominated as the office bearers of the Committee, viz. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Joint Secretary.
The broad functions of the Committee are:
(i) To recommend the issuance of permanent passes to the representatives of the Newspapers/News Agencies/other Media (accredited to the Lok Sabha Press Gallery) intending to report the proceedings of the House from the Gallery.
(ii) To recommend the issuance of temporary passes to the representatives of the Newspapers/News Agencies/other Media intending to cover the proceedings of the House from the Gallery.
(iii) To examine the complaints made against the representatives of the Newspapers/News Agencies/ other Media and to recommend to the Speaker, Lok Sabha for appropriate action.
(iv) To examine the complaints relating to Media made to the Speaker, Lok Sabha for appropriate action.
(v) To recommend to the Speaker, Lok Sabha the kind of facilities that may be given to journalists to discharge their duties; and
(vi) To perform such other tasks which are in line with the duties entrusted to them.
The Committee meets at least once during the period of a Session. One-fourth of the total membership forms the quorum for the above meeting of the Committee. The meetings of the Press Advisory Committee are generally convened on the directions of the Chairman/Secretary. The minutes of a meeting are ratified at the next meeting of the Committee. Thereafter, follow up action is taken on the recommendations/suggestions of the Committee.
Research Fellowship
Research Fellowships for writing books, (one each in Hindi and English every year) and Fellowships for writing monographs are awarded by the Lok Sabha Secretariat with a view to promoting original studies on matters of parliamentary subjects:
The Fellowships are open to research scholars, academicians, mediapersons and others having suitable experience and aptitude to undertake study. Proposals for grant of Fellowships are invited every year from all universities, media organisations, academic institutions, etc. on any particular aspect in any one of the following fields:
(i) Parliamentary Institutions/Systems (including State Legislatures)—Evolution and Development.
(ii) Parliamentary Rules, Practices and Procedures.
(iii) Committee System.
(iv) Communication between Parliament and the People.
(v) Modern Techniques of Service and Support Systems of Parliament.
The selection of the Fellows is made by a Fellowship Committee nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha from time to time. PPR Wing scrutinizes the proposals received and prepares brief synopses of the proposals for the consideration of the Fellowship Committee. PPR Wing also provides all the secretarial assistance to the Committee and also to the Research Fellows.
Information Folders
With the objective of wider dissemination of information about the working of parliamentary institutions, small and handy Information Folders on important parliamentary activities and various aspects of parliamentary practice and procedure are brought out both in English and Hindi. Sets of such folders are distributed to members of Parliament, media persons, visiting dignitaries from abroad and others. All necessary efforts are made for providing the latest information in the Information Folders by incorporating the updated details.
Photographs/Bio-Data of newly-elected Members of Lok Sabha
Immediately after the constitution of a new Lok Sabha, this Wing sets up a temporary studio for taking photographs of newly elected members of the Lok Sabha for various purposes.
Bio-data are also collected from the newly elected members for the preparation of Who’s Who.
Scanning Tele-printer News
With a view to keeping the members informed about the latest news—national as well as international—English and Hindi tele-printer machines/scanners have been installed in Parliament House and in Parliament Library Building. When Parliament is in session, important news items of interest to members of Parliament are displayed daily on the notice board outside the erst while Library (Ground Floor), PH. Important news items are brought to the knowledge of Officers of the House immediately. In addition to the tele-printer news, photographs, maps, charts, information folders, etc. relating to parliamentary activities are exhibited on the notice boards and at other places in the Parliament House for the information of members.
Parliament Calendars
Calendars of Lok Sabha Secretariat are brought out by this Wing every year for distribution to members of Parliament, Dignitaries, Presiding Officers of Indian Legislatures, media persons, staff members and others. Enquiries from the general public as well as from institutions/ organisations seeking information regarding parliamentary activities and reference material on parliamentary practices and procedures are also attended to.
Photographic Chart of MPs
A photographic chart of members of Lok Sabha with their names, Division Nos. and constituency, is prepared for the Table of Speaker, Lok Sabha in the House and the same is updated regularly with the change in Division Nos. of members.
Display of Birthday List of MPs
PPR Wing also displays birthday list of members of Lok Sabha during the Session period on the Notice Board, kept outside the erst while Library (Ground Floor) Parliament House.