 bill no 16 of 1977 the parliamentary proceedings (protection of publication) bill, 1977 a billto protect the publication of teports of p1'cceecungs·o1 p",l~ bz it enacted by parliament in the twenty-eighth year of the republic 0:1 india as follows:-1 (1) this act may be called the parliamentary proceedibgs (protection of publication) act, 1977 (2) it extends to the whole of india except the state of jammu and , kashmir short title, extent and commencement (3) it shall be deemed to have come into force on the 25th day of march, 1977 definition i in this aci;, "newspaper" means any printed periodical work con-10 taining public news or comments on public news, and includes a newsagency supplying material for publication in a newspaper 3 (1) save as otherwise provided in sub-section (2) no person shall be liable to any proceedings, civil or criminal, in any court in respect of the public~tion in a newspaper of a substantially true report of any pro-is ceedirijhi~i'bitfier house 'of parliament, unless the publication is proved ul· h8ve'~been dude with maut:e~ ~:',  ':'!" i 'j i ;  publication of reports of parliamentary, proceedings privlleged (2) nothing :in sub-section (1) shall be construed as protecting the publication of any matter, the publication of which is not for the public good 4 this act shall apply in relation to reports or matters broadcast by means of wireless telegraphy as part of any programme or service pro-s vided by means of a broadcasting station situate witbin the teltitories to which this act extends as it applies in relation to reports or matters published in a newspaper actalao to apply to parliamentary proceedings broadcast by wireless telegraphy the basis of a democratic government is the opinion of the people it is, therefore, oi paramount importance that proceedings in parliament shall be communicated to the public for this purpclje, newspapers and other mass publicity media should be afforded the privilege of publishing substantially true reports of proceedings in parliament without being exposed to any civil or· criminal action the press and other publicity media were deprived of this privilege during the emergency when the parliamentary proceedings (protection, of, ~blicat1od) , act 1956 was· repealed it is now  'proposed to restore this privilege, hence this bill 2 the provisions of the bill are on the lame lines as the provi( iods of the parliamentary proceedings (protection of publication) act, 1956 new dam: l k advani the slit march, 19'7'7  " ~t ' • !: ' ~\  ~: " , '",::'  r ; i ', ~ 'l , ' ;   " "',   ~  - -, t,: 1  billto protftt the publtccqlon f1/ ,eportt c1/ proceeding, of p,ltclment i (shri l k adthjni, jlinibtet of 'nformation ancibroacicgt&iftg) 