While the administration is contemplating action against AIL, institute officials are maintaining that they followed all norms and had taken requisite permission from registrar of newspapers in India (RNI). The office of district magistrate issued the notice on September 10. DC Rahul Bhandari said the institute was yet to reply.

Press and Registration of Books Act of 1867 requires that journals be published after taking permission from district administration, said officials. AIL's officiating registrar Col Jaswant Singh Sandhu maintained the institute had done no wrong.

AIL was served a notice on August 18 this year after authorities noticed that it had come out with a publication on July 24, 2007. A week after that notice, AIL had replied that it had got journal's title verified from RNI on April 16, 2007, said an official.

The administration has said the journal was published without authentication of the declaration that includes information like title and addresses of the office and printing press.

"According to Section (5) of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, the declaration needs to be signed by district magistrate. A copy of the RNI verification also needs to be submitted to the administration for required action," said official sources.

Administration officials said institute had submitted an application on January 23, 2006, and the case was submitted to state government on January 31, 2007. However, the institute came out with the publication without waiting for communication from RNI or the government, they said.

(c) 2008 The Times of India. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.