India, Feb. 26 -- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology on Tuesday voted against the entry of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indian print media.

The committee considered two reports with divergent recommendations. One favoured a ban on the entry of foreign equity while the second, prepared in December last year favoured allowing 26 per cent foreign equity with the rider that editorial and management control would remain in the hands of Indian partners.

When discussions began, Congress members voted against FDI, a stand which contrasted the one taken by a Congress member, Pawan Bansal, at a thinly-attended meeting of the committee last December.

This apparently took some members of the committee by surprise ...