Minister moots licence for scribes

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Monday suggested that media houses should select journalists through a nation-wide test and issue them licence to practise the profession as is done by the Bar Council of India and other bodies.

“Possibly, the media industry could think of at least having a common exam. Like you have a bar (council) exam, like you have a medical exam or exams which are conducted by other professional bodies, which then issue a licence which enables you to pursue your profession,” the minister said while addressing an event here.

He noted that such an exercise would help “standardise” media in the country, rather than prescribing curricula to media schools.

Though country has “good” media schools, there are also "fly-by-night" operators in the media education sector, he added.

The minister’s view comes months after Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju set up a committee to prescribe minimum qualification for journalists and recommend ways to “supervise and regulate” institutes offering courses on journalism,
Referring to Article (19)(1)(g) and 19(6) of the Constitution, he said there should be “reasonable degree of oversight” on media in the interest of general public at large.

Article (19)(1)(g) vests into citizens right to practise any profession, carry on any occupation, trade or business. 

Article 19(6) stipulates that rights so vested into citizens under sub-clause (g) of Article 19(1) shall not affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevents the State from making any law imposing reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of general public.

"And when oversight mechanisms or regulatory models are even discussed in the public domain, it is seen, as if an assault is being made on the freedom of press," Tewari said.