The Central Government on 17 June 2022 nominated retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as the first woman President of the Press Council of India (PCI).
The name of 72-year-old Justice Ranjana Desai for the post of PCI President was approved by a committee comprising Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and PCI member Prakash Dubey.
Justice Desai was a judge in the Bombay High Court, prior to her tenure in the Supreme Court from September 13, 2011 to October 29, 2014.
Justice Desai recently headed the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir.
She was the chairperson of the Indian Appellate Tribunal for Electricity after retiring from the Supreme Court.
Press Council of India (PCI):
It is a statutory autonomous organization that discharges the responsibility of protecting and maintaining the freedom of the press, ensuring a high standard of public interest and inculcating a proper sense of the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
It was established under the Press Council of India Act, 1978.
Its objective is to maintain the freedom of the press as well as to maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.
The PCI consists of a chairman and 28 other members.
The President of the PCI is elected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (3), the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (2) and a member elected by the PCI.