Report No. 248
61. Newspaper (Price and Page) Act, Act 45 of 1956
Category: Media, Communications and Publishing
Recommendation: Repeal
This Act was enacted to provide for the regulation of the prices charged for newspapers in relation to their pages so as to prevent unfair competition among newspapers. Section 3 of the Act empowered the Central Government to make orders providing for the regulation of the prices charged for newspapers in relation to their maximum or minimum number of pages, sizes or areas and for the space to be allotted for advertisements.
Section 3 was struck down in Sakal Papers Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India [AIR 1962 SC 305] for violating Article 19(1)(a). Since the main provision, i.e. Section 3, has been struck down, fresh orders cannot be issued under the Act. Consequently, the Act serves no purpose, but remains on the statute books and should be repealed.
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