Guwahati: National Press Day is celebrated every year on 16th November to honour the Press Council of India.
The Press Council of India, a statutory and quasi-judicial institution began operating as a moral watchdog on this day to make sure that the press not only upheld the high standards anticipated of such a potent medium but also that it was unhindered by the influence or threats of any outside parties.
The first Press Commission had recommended the creation of a Press Council in 1956 after coming to the conclusion that the best way to uphold professional ethics in journalism would be to create a body with statutory authority, composed primarily of people connected to industry, whose responsibility it would be to arbitrate.
A committee was envisioned by India’s First Press Commission in 1956 to safeguard press freedom and journalistic ethics. Ten years later, it sparked the creation of a Press Council.
India’s Press Council was created on July 4, 1966 and it officially began operations on November 16 of that same year. Since that time, every year on November 16 is recognised as National Press Day.
To maintain credibility, the Press Council of India oversees all journalistic endeavours. A strong democracy in India is maintained in large part by the Press Council of India. Additionally, it guarantees that no outside factor will have an impact on the Indian press.