Vice President Inaugurates ‘National Press Day Celebrations' in New Delhi

The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that India is the world’s largest democracy and despite its imperfections remains a good example of a functioning, vigorous, constitutional and democratic state structure. Like most other liberal democracies, our functioning is predicated on the separation of powers between the executive, legislature and the judiciary and a significant role for the Press and the Media. Delivering inaugural address on ‘Freedom of Press and its Responsibilities’ on the National Press Day celebrations organized by the Press Council of India here today, he has said that the underlying principle of freedom of speech and expression within the four corners of the law defines our democratic identity. Both are guaranteed as a Fundamental Right by our Constitution. Freedom of the Press and Media is a logical corollary. The Press Council is a mechanism for the Press to regulate itself. Its raison d’etre is rooted in the concept that in a democratic society the press needs at once to be free and responsible.
  
National Press Day – The 16th of November – is symbolic of a free and responsible press in India. This was the day on which the Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that not only did the press maintain the high standards expected from this powerful medium but also that it was not fettered by the influence or threats of any extraneous factors. Though there are several Press or Media Councils world over, the Press Council of India is a unique entity in as-much-as this is the only body to exercise an authority even over the instruments of the state in its duty to safeguard the independence of the press.

Recommending the establishment of Press Council in 1956 the Ist Press Commission had concluded that the best way of maintaining professional ethics in journalism would be to bring into existence a body with statutory authority, of people principally connected with industry whose duty it would be to arbitrate. To this end the Press Council of India was established and the body that was evolved since November 16, 1966 has not belied the objective.

November 16 therefore personifies a responsible and free press in the country. All those who cherish it, so commemorate the day. The National Press Day on November 16 every year is commemorated in befitting manner by the Council. Since the year 1997 following Seminars have been organized by the Press Council on occasion of National Press Day (November 16).