The Press Council of India (PCI) has finally got a chairman after months of uncertainty, with former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai assuming charge on April 24. However, the statutory media watchdog remains incomplete, with all 13 seats reserved for working journalists and editors still vacant.
Desai, who has been appointed for a second term of three years, had earlier served as PCI chairperson from June 17, 2022, to December 16, 2025. The post had remained vacant since December 17 last year, marking an unprecedented gap in the Council’s functioning.
Despite the appointment, the 29-member body continues to lack representation from professional journalists. As per provisions, the Council must include 13 members from the media: six editors and seven working journalists, but none have been appointed so far.
The delay in completing the Council had drawn concern earlier this year, with Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra urging the Union government to expedite the process. Raising the issue in Parliament on February 10, he had stressed that a fully constituted PCI is essential to safeguard democratic principles and ensure a free and responsible press.
At present, the Council includes representatives from Parliament, statutory bodies, and newspaper management, even as efforts continue to fill the remaining seats amid ongoing disputes over the selection process.
The vacancies follow disagreements among journalist bodies over proposed changes in selection norms, particularly the inclusion of representatives from press clubs instead of national unions of working journalists. Several organisations have opposed the move, arguing that press clubs are largely regional and may not adequately represent the interests of professional journalists across the country.
Established under the Press Council Act, the PCI functions as a statutory, quasi-judicial body tasked with maintaining standards in print media and addressing complaints of professional misconduct. However, its limited enforcement powers and the absence of representation from working journalists have raised concerns over its effectiveness.