Representatives of leading press clubs from across India during the first Governing Council meeting of the newly formed Federation of Press Clubs (FPC) at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on June 22, 2026.New Delhi, June 23: In a significant development for the Indian media fraternity, a national-level apex body of democratically managed press clubs across the country has been formed under the name Federation of Press Clubs (FPC). The organisation has been registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with eight leading press clubs joining as founding members.
The first meeting of the Governing Council of the Federation of Press Clubs was held at the Press Club of India on June 22, 2026. The initiative aims to provide a collective national voice to media professionals represented by press clubs across India.
The eight founding members of the FPC are the Press Club of India, Mumbai Press Club, Press Club Kolkata, Press Club Hyderabad, Chandigarh Press Club, State Press Club M.P., Gauhati Press Club, and Agartala Press Club.
In one of its first major decisions, the Governing Council resolved to open membership to other press clubs and media bodies from across the country in the coming weeks.
The Federation has been formed with the objective of strengthening press freedom, ensuring the protection of journalists, supporting media professionals amid rapid technological transformation, and advocating for better working conditions in the journalism profession.
As per the rules and regulations of the FPC, membership will be granted to press clubs and media bodies that maintain active registration, conduct regular democratic elections, and file audited financial statements under the provisions of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, Companies Act, 2013, or the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.
Speaking on the occasion, Founding President Gautam Lahiri said the formation of the Federation was the culmination of a process that began in 2016 to strengthen the collective voice of press clubs in India.
“This is a completely non-partisan body, which will work for the betterment of the profession and try to develop a support system for journalists working across the country without any significant social security net. Protection of journalists and dignity of life are essential for the survival of the profession,” he said.
Vice-President Snehasis Sur highlighted the challenges faced by the media industry due to the collapse of traditional models of sustenance and stressed the importance of collective efforts to defend press freedom and democracy.
Vice-President Vijay Reddy noted that a large part of journalism in India is carried out in small towns, where district-level press clubs often lack adequate resources to support journalists during crises. He said the FPC would work towards strengthening such networks and providing greater access to resources.
Vice-President Samar Khadas emphasised the need for transparency, non-partisanship, and ethical journalism within the organisation.
Secretary General Saurabh Duggal said the composition of the founding organisations reflected fair and democratic representation from different regions of the country.
Assistant Secretary General Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty described the formation of the Federation as an important step towards protecting and expanding freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(A) of the Constitution.
“The collectivisation of stakeholders invested in press freedom is the need of the hour. The FPC will function by adopting global best practices to strengthen one of the most important features of democracy,” she said.
The Federation of Press Clubs is being viewed as an ambitious initiative aimed at strengthening press freedom and safeguarding the rights and welfare of journalists across India.
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