Press Council of India operating at half strength, without a single working journalist or newspaper editor

Press Council of India operating at half strength, without a single working journalist or newspaper editor I&B Ministry notes notification of names nominated by the PCI in final stage, anticipated to be issued shortly.

Key points

• 4 min read New Delhi Updated: Oct 7, 2026 03: 55 AM IST.
• The PCI operates under the Press Council Act, 1978.
• Justice Desai had completed her previous tenure in December last year, resulting in a prolonged vacancy before her reappointment.

Notably, the PCI operates under the Press Council Act, 1978. It stipulates that the Council must consist of a chairperson and 28 members, each serving a three-year term.

THE COUNTRY'S key media watchdog, Press Council of India (PCI), has been operating at half its sanctioned strength for almost a year now and without a single working journalist or newspaper editor.

For context, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has not yet formally notified the names of 13 of the 28 PCI members, six of whom should be newspaper editors and seven should be working journalists other than editors, despite the PCI nominating them earlier this year.

Ironically, the PCI remained without a chairman for almost four months until Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a retired Supreme Court judge, was reappointed to the post in April this year. Justice Desai had completed her previous tenure in December last year, resulting in a prolonged vacancy before her reappointment.

For now, press Council of India operating at half strength, without a single working remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.