. Divided though the opinion was, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology -- discussing the issue of limited foreign investment in print media -- today decided to go with the majority view and table in Parliament its first draft opposing any kind of foreign participation in print media.

With the Standing Committee -- headed by the CPI(M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee -- taking this position, the Government's hope of changing the print media policy vis-a-vis foreign participation on the basis of this report stands dashed. Though the second draft -- recommending 26 per cent FDI in print media -- was also put before the committee today, it was voted out with only 10 of the 26 members "present and voting" favouring it.

The report, slated to be tabled in this session of Parliament, only gives a conditional nod for the publication of foreign scientific and technical magazines which, too, was not permitted under the existing policy governed by the Cabinet resolution of 1955.

The decision to recommend the first draft -- finalised in November last ahead of the winter session -- was taken at the end of a two-and-a-half-hour session which saw several rounds of heated exchanges with the BJP member, Narendra Mohan, leading the minority view. But, with only his party members and those from the DMK favouring limited foreign participation in print media, the majority view held sway.

Though the committee had decided to go in for a second draft at its last meeting in January in view of eight of the 15 members present favouring 26 per cent FDI in print media with the condition that editorial control remains in Indian hands, their numbers dwindled today with the Congress taking a firm position against any kind of foreign participation.

Still, given the fact that there was no unanimity within the committee on opening up print media for foreign participation, Mr. Chatterjee said members who did not agree with the majority opinion could send in their views which would be added to the report that will be tabled in Parliament.

Even while giving the green signal to foreign magazines of scientific and technological character to enable serious students have access to such publications at cheaper prices, the committee has taken the position that this may be allowed only in collaboration with well-known or competent Indian publishers dealing with such subjects.

Now that the committee has opposed FDI in print media, the ball is back in the Government's court. For its part, the Government has been maintaining that any decision on the issue would be taken only after the committee -- which has been discussing the issue for well over a year -- submitted its report. In fact, when the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting put up a note for allowing publication of foreign scientific magazines and non-news/current affairs journals in India, the Cabinet decided to keep a decision pending till the committee's report.

Apparently, advocates of limited foreign participation in print media within the committee had been lobbying particularly hard for a report favouring relaxation in the existing policy because they had been given to understand that it would then be easier for the Government to change it.