The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has sought an explanation from the Ministry of Human Resource Development after the ISBN International Agency threatened to strip the Indian government of its role in distributing International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) to publishers amid complaints of red-tapism and fears of censorship.

The HRD Ministry is learnt to have held a meeting on May 31 on issues flagged by the ISBN International Agency and decided to, henceforth, process all ISBN applications within 48 hours. As first reported by The Indian Express on May 25, the ISBN International Agency, in a letter sent to Minister of State for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey on March 29, had warned that it is “seriously considering” revoking the ministry’s appointment as the agency for issuing ISBNs in India as the number of complaints has “reached unacceptable levels”.