IJU Condemns 10% Excise duty on Newsprint : The NEC meeting in Bangalore on 6-7 July 2019 strongly condemned imposition of 10 per cent of excise duty on newsprint. Moved by Geetartha Pathak it the meeting demanded that the Central Government immediately withdraw the excise duty as the decision would have negative impact on newspaper industry, particularly medium and small newspapers, which are as it is facing an onslaught by online media.

The duty being imposed must also be viewed as a bid to stifle the media and all-efforts must be made to have the decision reversed.

IJU Demands Representation on CPAC

The NEC meeting in Bangalore on 6-7 July 2019 demanded restoration of giving representation for journalists unions in the Central Press Accreditation Committee (CPAC) and other government committees related to journalists, which was being unfairly denied by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry under the Modi government. The NEC noted that the matter, specifically of CPAC, had been hanging fire since 2018 and despite the IJU submitting the requisite documents as desired by the PIB there was complete silence. The denial of IJU representation on the CPAC smacks of government efforts to have their own people on the board, which was a dangerous trend, said the meeting. Efforts must continue for the rightful representation.