New Delhi, 16 July: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has begun collecting and maintaining specific data relating to attacks on media since January this year, the government said today.

"National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs, has started collection of data under 'attack on media' through Monthly Crime Statistics since January, 2014," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

"Prior to this, the specific data regarding attacks on media was not centrally maintained," he added.

Mr Javadekar said that the Press Council of India (PCI) has conveyed that it has set up a committee to examine the larger issue of safety of journalists in discharge of their duty with a view to gathering facts and evidences. He said the government has not received yet the report of the committee set up by PCI.

He also gave provisional details of such cases registered during 2014. According to the government, two such cases had been registered in Maharashtra till March 2014.

The government, he said, has a scheme ' 'Journalists Welfare Scheme' ' which provides for one-time ex-gratia relief on urgent basis to the family of a working journalist in the event of his death.