JUDGMENT

DEVENDRA KUMAR UPADHYAYA, C.J. CHALLENGE

1. This intra-Court appeal takes exception to the judgment and order dated 22.11.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge whereby W.P.(C.) No.

16202/2024 filed by the respondent No.1 – petitioner (the Press Club, Mumbai) has been allowed and the recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee dated 10.09.2024 so far as it relates to respondent No.1 whereby it was not included in the list of notified “associations of persons” for the purposes of re-constitution of the 15^th Press Council of India (the appellant), has been quashed.

FACTS

2. Press Council of India is a statutory body incorporated under Section 4 of the Press Council Act, 1978 (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) and is a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal.

3. Section 5 of the Act provides for composition of the Council which consists of a Chairman and twenty eight other Members. Out of twenty eight other Members of the Council, thirteen are nominated from amongst the working Journalists of whom six are Editors of newspapers and seven are working Journalists other than Editors. Six persons are to be nominated from amongst persons who own or carry on bus