Question : e-Commerce Platforms

(a) Whether the Government has any proposal to implement the New Business Policy for Publications Division, which will promote online readership by selling digital versions of the publication at 75 per cent the price of printed version, if so, the details thereto;

(b) Whether the Government has formulated a framework to select and appoint e-commerce platforms to sell e-books of the Publications Division, if so, the details thereof;

(c) Whether the Government proposes to adopt a competitive bidding process to select the e-commerce platforms under the new policy to ensure efficient delivery of services; and

(d) If so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING (COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)

(a) Yes, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has approved a new Business Policy(Costing and other financial issues) for Publications Division with effect from 31-12-2015, which inter-alia includes sale of digital version (e-book) of its various publications at 75% the price of P-book. The New Business Policy may be seen at the website of DPD under the Ministry

(b) The new policy provides for the utilization of the e-commerce platform for sale of its e-books with a revenue sharing in the ratio of 70:30 (DPD:Platform) on the price of e-book.

(c) & (d) Since the norms for sale of books on e-commerce platform have already been defined in the policy approved 0n 31-12-2015, adopting the competitive bidding process to select the e-commerce platform is not required. Besides this being a first time initiative of Publications Division, it has been taken up on pilot basis.