On National Press Day in 2017, which theme was officially chosen in India to highlight the key issues and challenges facing the media in a democratic society?

Introduction / Context:
National Press Day is observed in India to mark the establishment of the Press Council of India and to underline the importance of a free and responsible press in a democracy. Each year, a specific theme is chosen to focus discussions and seminars on a particular aspect of media functioning. In 2017, media bodies and exam questions highlighted a theme that directly addressed the difficulties and responsibilities faced by journalists and media organisations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers specifically to National Press Day in the year 2017.
• It asks for the theme declared for that occasion.
• The options include "Challenges before the Media" and "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law", among others.
• We assume the question is based on official announcements made by the Press Council of India.

Concept / Approach:
The concept is current affairs related to media and governance. For National Press Day 2017, the Press Council of India focused attention on the difficulties and pressures that the media faces. The official theme for that year was "Challenges before the Media". The phrase "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law" is actually associated with World Press Freedom Day at the global level and is therefore a tempting but incorrect distractor in this national context.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Focus on the exact event mentioned: National Press Day 2017 in India. 2. Recall from current affairs that the Press Council of India organised discussions and programmes around the theme "Challenges before the Media". 3. Compare this with the option "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law", which is known as a theme for World Press Freedom Day by UNESCO rather than for India National Press Day in 2017. 4. Among the options, select "Challenges before the Media" as it directly matches the official Indian theme for that year. 5. Confirm that none of the other options accurately describe the 2017 National Press Day theme.

Verification / Alternative check:
Press releases and news articles from November 2017 covering National Press Day in India state that the Press Council chose "Challenges before the Media" as the theme. Reports describe panel discussions and seminars that examined issues such as fake news, pressure from various interest groups and the need for ethical standards. UNESCO documents, on the other hand, link "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law" with World Press Freedom Day in 2018, which confirms that this phrase belongs to a different observance.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law" is associated with global World Press Freedom Day and not with India National Press Day in 2017.
• "National security against terrorism" is a broad phrase and may feature in discussions, but it was not the specific official theme for National Press Day 2017.
• "None of the above" is wrong because there is a clearly documented and widely reported theme that appears among the options.

Common Pitfalls:
A major pitfall is mixing up themes of different but related observances, such as National Press Day, World Press Freedom Day and other international days devoted to media. Another common error is to treat any phrase that sounds serious and media related as the correct answer without checking the specific year and event. To avoid such mistakes, students should connect themes with their exact year and host organisation, for example National Press Day 2017 with "Challenges before the Media".

Final Answer:
On National Press Day 2017 in India, the official theme was "Challenges before the Media".