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Manipur Advertisement Policy Rules, 1990

Published vide Notification No. 15/1/86-Advt./Info., dated 6th January, 1990 in Manipur Gazette (E.O.) dated 12/1/1990

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No. 15/1/86-Advt./Info. - In supersession of all previous orders, the Governor of Manipur is pleased to notify the Manipur Advertisement Policy Rules, 1990 of the Information and Public Relations Department, Manipur as in the enclosed Annexure.

  1. This order will come into force with effect from the date of publication in the official Gazette.

Annexure

The question of adopting consistent and clear guidelines for release of advertisements to newspapers periodicals etc., has been engaging the attention of the Government. With a view to streamlining the release of advertisements of local newspapers etc. the Government of Manipur has decided the following rules:

  1. Short title.- These rules may be called the Manipur Advertisement Policy Rules, 1990
  2. Definitions.- In these rules, the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "advertisement" means all advertisements of the Government of Manipur and its undertakings, corporations, bodies etc. released through the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Manipur (hereinafter abbreviated as DIPR) and include both classified and display advertisements;

(b) "classified advertisement" means an advertisement published in a compact section of a newspaper under specified heads. These include tender notices, rate quotations, situation vacant, auction notices, notifications, employment notices, etc.,

(c) "daily newspaper" means a publication that circulates news and comments on current affairs and is published everyday;

(d) "display advertisement" is that which has a conspicuous display of contents and is published anywhere in a newspaper or in a periodical, as opposed to classified advertisements. This includes mass campaigns and sales promotion;

(e) "Government" means the Government of Manipur;

(f) "local newspapers" are those which are printed and published in the State of Manipur or whose registered offices are located in the State of Manipur;

(g) "periodical" means publications of any reading materials in book forms like magazines, bulletins, souvenirs etc. They may be of weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual publications, etc.

(h) "policy" means the advertisement policy of the Government.

  1. Release of advertisements.- All advertisements of the Government, Semi Government, Government sponsored organisations and local bodies, corporation, public undertakings including those organisations when Government provides guarantee for taking loans shall be released only though the DIPR.
  2. Categorisation of newspapers/periodicals.- Local newspapers and periodicals shall be classified in the following categories-

(i) Category "A" - circulation of 5001 copies and above;

(ii) Category "B" - circulation between 2500 to 5000;

(iii) Category "C" - circulation of 500 to 2500;

  1. Print Area.- A newspaper should have a minimum print area of 28 cm. by 45 cm. and should have not less than two pages to be eligible for issue of advertisements and in the case of a periodical, the minimum print area shall be 22 cm. by 15 m.
  2. Eligibility.- Subject to the other provisions of these rules, a newspaper or a periodical which fulfill the following conditions will be eligible for advertisements-

(i) It should be an approved newspaper or periodical by the Government

(ii) It must have complied with the provisions of Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867,

(iii) It must have un-interrupted and regular publication for a period of not less than three years;

(iv) It must have a minimum paid circulation of 500 copies per issue.

(v) No classified advertisement will be issued to weekly, bi-weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly newspapers and periodicals as also house journals, house magazine and souvenirs,

(vi) House journals, house magazines and souvenirs will not ordinarily qualify for other advertisements as well;

(vii) The newspaper or the periodical should not have published seditious material or matter likely to incite communal disharmony or affect or offend the sovereignty and integrity of India during the preceding 10 years of its publication.

(viii) Newspapers and periodicals shall strictly abide by the Journalistic code of ethics, to be judged on the basis of any of the following points-

(a) Reports imputing to a personal statement he or she has not made;

(b) Baseless, motivated, malicious, scurrilous or obscene reports or comments;

(c) Reports which preach or tend to preach violence or does not conform to socially accepted norms of public decency and morality and other journalistic code of ethics.

  1. Determination of copies in circulation.- The circulation of a newspaper shall be finalised taking into account the following points-

(i) Audited copy of Circulation of the newspaper certified by a Chartered Accountant and as submitted to Audit Bureau of Circulation;

(ii) quantity of newsprint purchased;

(iii) consumption of electricity, if the printing press is electrically operated;

(iv) expenditure on postage and postal concession certificate;

(v) mailing list;

(vi) number of employees engaged;

(vii) subscriber list;

(viii) Manipur State Road Transport Corporation pass for transport of newspapers;

(ix) income tax and professional fees.

Publishers of newspapers should submit the above information to the DIPR by 15th May of every year to facilitate correct assessment of their circulation.

  1. (A) Rate of Advertisements.- (i) The rate of advertisement for the different categories of newspaper shall be as determined by the Government from time to time.

(ii) The Governor shall be at liberty to revise the rate of advertisements, as and when considered necessary depending upon the rise in the cost of paper, ink, labour charges and other factors of production.

(iii) Whenever the Government revises the rate of advertisement, it shall be effective from the date of publication in the official Gazette.

(iv) The rate of advertisement initially fixed by the Government on 18-4-78, subsequently revised on 28-6-82 shall stand revised as follows-

Circulation Rate Print Area
Category "A" Rs. 14.00 Per column centimetre of 8 words
Category "B" Rs. 12.00 do
Category "C" Rs. 10.00 do

(v) The size of lettering in the advertisement should be the same as the letter size in the rest of the paper.

(vi) The rate fixed by the Government of Manipur under this rule shall be applicable only for the newspaper published within the territory of Manipur State.

(vii) In the case of national dailies whose rate has also been accepted by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual publicity. Government of India, the rate fixed by the newspaper/periodical concerned shall be accepted as rate for the purpose of display and classified advertisement.

(B) For Display Advertisement

New Rate Old Rate
(i) Category "A" Rs. 2500/- Full page of 28 cm x 45cm Rs.8/- Classified and Display Advertisement rate per column Centimetre of 8 words
(ii) Category "B" Rs. 2000/-          do
(iii) Category "C" Rs. 1500/-          do

For periodicals having minimum print area of 22 cm. X 15 cm.

(i) Category "A" Rs. 900/-

(ii) Category "B" Rs. 700/-

(iii) Category "C" Rs. 600/-

Half page and quarter page display advertisement will be 50% and 25% of the above mentioned rates of the respective categories/sizes.

  1. Manner or release advertisement.- (i) Classified advertisements will be issued in the following manners:

(a) Tenders worth upto Rs. 2 lakhs will be issued to 3 (three) local newspapers.

(b) Tenders for construction works worth more than Rs. 2 (two) lakhs and upto Rs. 10 (ten) lakhs will be issued to 3 (three) local newspapers while in the case of 'supplies' it will be issued to 3 (three) local newspapers and one National newspaper.

(c) Tenders for construction works and supplies worth more than Rs. 10 (ten) lakhs and above will be issued to 4 (four) local newspapers and 3 (three) national newspapers.

(ii) As far as possible, classified advertisement will be released for publications in the daily newspapers, by rotation, to maintain, to the extent possible, equitable distribution. However, attempts should be made to release the same to at least one newspaper in each of the categories.

(iii) The following time limit shall be followed for publication of classified advertisements-

(iv) The Government shall have the right to withhold the release of advertisement to a newspaper or a periodical if it fails to report an incorrect or proper manner any important developments and/or other economic activity in the State.

While a newspapers or a periodical is entitled to have its own views, there should not be distortion of news.

(v) All advertisements received from different Departments, Organisations, Bodies and Corporation for insertion in a newspaper or a periodical shall be serialised in order of receipt of the advertisement, based on date and time by DIPR, the serial number of which shall be mentioned in the order for release of the advertisements.

(vi) If the publisher fails to send copies of their issues or if the copies of the newspaper are not available for collection it would be presumed that issues for that day are not released.

(vii) The bill claiming payment for publication of advertisement is received from the Advertiser, the DIPR will assess the amount of money required for payment and intimate the Advertiser within a maximum of 2 days time. Except in special cases, the advertiser shall deposit the assessed amount in cash to the DIPR within 7 days before the date of publication of the advertisement.

  1. Deletion from the list.- If a newspaper ceases publication continuously for a period of 4 (four) weeks, it shall be deleted from the eligible list. The publishers will be responsible to send each of their issues regularly to enable the Government to decide whether the newspapers/periodicals are following journalistic ethics.

Provided that if stoppage of publication is caused by strike, lock out, and natural calamity, the provisions for deletion from the eligibility list shall not apply-

TIME LIMITS VALUE OF ADVERTISEMENTS
(a) 10 days below Rs. 2 lakhs.
(b) 15 days Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 10 lakhs,
(c) 21 days above Rs. 10 lakhs.
  1. Black listing.- A newspaper/periodical concerned will be liable to be black listed for a period of 6 months at the first instance and one year thereafter if it behaves in a manner unbecoming of a newspaper or fails to observe normal ethics of journalism or commits any of the following:

(i) If it fails to publish or publishes in a distorted or mutilated manner any Government Press Note, handout, communique, press contradiction, clarifications, advertisements, etc.,

(ii) If it furnishes wrong informations about the number of copies of circulations;

(iii) If it indulges in baseless, motivated, malicious, scurrilous report or comments;

(iv) If it indulges in report imputing to a person of statements he/she has not made.

  1. Disqualification for release of advertisements.- Any newspaper or periodical already includes in the eligibility list shall be liable for disqualification on any of the following grounds-

(i) If it publishes seditious material, or matter likely to incite communal dis-harmony or affect or offend the sovereignty and integrity of India;

(ii) If it indulges publication of obscene reports, pornography or reports comments repugnants to socially accepted norms of public decency and morals.

(iii) If it behaves in a manner to breach any particular of the provisions of these rules.

  1. Media Committee.- There shall be a Media Committee to ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of these rules and to help the Government in the formulation of new policies, comprising of the following persons-
(i) Director, Information and Public Relations, Manipur -Chairman
(ii) President/Secretary of Journalist Union, Manipur -Member
(iii) President/Secretary of Journalist Association, Manipur -Member
(iv) One official to be nominated by the Government. -Member
(v) Deputy Commissioner, Imphal -Member

The Committee will meet once in 6 (six) months in review the policies their practical applications and problems. More meetings may be convened according to necessity;

  1. Interpretation.- With regards to the interpretation of the provisions in these rules, the decision of the Government in all the matters will be final.