Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday, August 25, directed the state government to extend the validity of media accreditation cards issued in 2023 to eligible working journalists till September 15, while making clear that no interim relief would be available to new applicants or those who do not currently hold accreditation cards.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin was hearing a batch of petitions filed separately by the Hi-Tech Print and Electronic Media Association, the Telangana Urdu Working Journalists’ Federation (TWJF) and Creative India Broadcasting Private Limited, challenging the state’s revised eligibility criteria for media accreditation.
Counsel for the petitioners objected to the distinction the new rules draw between cable and satellite channels. Special government counsel S Rahul Reddy told the court that authorities had scrutinised a list of 535 members submitted by the TWJF and found only 268 of them had previously held accreditation cards, with some of those already having been issued fresh cards.
The petitioners argued that the current accreditation rules ran contrary to earlier orders passed by a division bench of the High Court. The matter was adjourned for final hearing to September 15.
New rules spark dispute
The litigation centres on the Telangana Media Accreditation Rules, 2025, approved by the state government in December that year to replace the 2016 norms, and notified through government order (GO) 252 dated December 22, 2025, later amended by GO 103 dated January 24, 2026. The rules extended coverage to digital news platforms for the first time, but tightened eligibility across the board.
Print publications now need to show a minimum daily circulation of 2,000 copies along with registration under the Press Registrar General of India, while digital outlets must demonstrate at least 500,000 monthly unique visitors over the preceding six months, with accreditation in that category capped at just 10 cards statewide.
The rules also split accreditation into two tiers, with field reporters getting accreditation cards granting access for news coverage, while desk journalists, including sub-editors, receive separate “media cards” that only serve as identification for welfare benefits and do not permit field access.
TWJF general secretary B Basava Punnaiah had objected to this distinction at the time, saying desk journalists should not be limited to an ID-only card. The government subsequently said it planned to issue 44,706 accreditation cards statewide under the revised norms, with the Information and Public Relations Minister, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, describing the expansion as being aimed at covering all eligible journalists following consultations with journalist associations.
String of interim extensions
The TWJF, along with other associations, challenged GO 252 and its amendment before the High Court soon after they were issued, arguing that the new criteria, based on circulation figures, income thresholds, broadcast time and visitor counts, were arbitrary and illegal. In February 2026, the same division bench had directed that all accreditation cards valid at the time would continue in force till April 30, 2026, while granting the state time to file its response.
When the deadline passed without the promised renewal process being completed, the matter returned to a vacation bench in May, with the TWJF telling the court that accredited journalists were facing practical difficulties due to the delay. The Additional Advocate General assured the court that the validity would be extended till June 16, 2026, and the court directed authorities to comply strictly with that undertaking.
Tuesday’s order extending validity to September 15 marks the latest in this series of extensions, with the underlying challenge to the 2025 rules now set for final hearing on that date.
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