PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU

PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) is the nodal agency of the Government of India to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies, programmes, initiatives and achievements. It functions as an interface between the Government and the media and also serves to provide feedback to the Government on people�s reaction as reflected in the media. PIB disseminates information through different modes of communication viz. press releases, press notes, feature articles, backgrounders, photographs, database available on Bureaus website. Information disseminated is released in English, Hindi and Urdu and subsequently translated in other Indian languages to reach out to about 8,400 newspapers and media organizations in different parts of country. In addition PIB organizes Press Conferences, Press Briefing, Interviews of the Ministers /Secretaries and other senior officers for sensitizing media persons on important policy initiatives of the Government. The Bureau also conducts Press Tours to successful project sites to enable media to have firsthand account of developmental activities going on in the country.

ORGANISATIONAL SET-UP

PIB has its Headquarters in New Delhi. It is headed by the Principal Director General (Media & Communication) who is assisted by a Director General and eight Additional Director Generals at Headquarters. Besides, the Bureau has Departmental Publicity Officers varying in ranks from Directors to Assistant Directors and Media & Communication Officers who are attached with different Ministries in order of the Officers rank and Ministries size, importance and sensitivity.  PIB also runs a Control Room (News Room) at Headquarters to ensure dissemination of information after normal working hours on weekdays from 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm and from 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm on weekends and holidays. PIB has eight Regional Offices headed by Additional Director Generals and 34 Branch Offices and Information Centers to cater to information needs of regional press and other media. In addition to release of publicity material issued from the Headquarters in local language, these Regional and Branch Offices of PIB issue original press releases, press notes, backgrounders etc. whenever an important event is organized by any of the Central Ministries or Public Sector Undertakings in a particular region. These Offices also take up the decisions of the Central Government which may be of special importance to a particular region for focused publicity through information dissemination on sustained basis. Activities of PIB can be broadly classified in three Categories viz.: Information , Education & Communication (PUBLICITY) Feedback Accreditation & Special Services

IEC (PUBLICITY)

Departmental Publicity Officers (DPOs) have been attached to various Ministries and Departments for disseminating information to the media through press releases, press notes, backgrounders etc. and also by arranging press conferences, press tours, media briefings etc., These Officers have been consistently providing the requisite service to their respective Ministries and have been also meeting the information needs of media in respect of those Ministries. DPOs also advise their respective Ministries on all matters pertaining to information needs of media and Ministries publicity requirements. Beside the routine publicity work, the Bureau makes some special endeavors towards publicity like Editors Conference on Social and Infrastructure Issues, Economic Editors Conference (EEC) PICs and Press Tours.

PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS (PICS)

Public Information Campaigns (PICs) are organized as information camps in collaboration with DAVP, DFP, S&DD etc. to provide information to common people on various schemes of the Central Govt. The strategy of a PIC is to combine information dissemination with the delivery of services at the doorsteps for the beneficiaries particularly in rural areas. It envisages direct contact with the Aam Aadmi and seeks to empower citizen particularly from rural areas with knowledge of various welfare schemes of Central Govt. under the flagship programmes.

PRESS TOURS

Successful projects, under various schemes of the Central Govt. in remote and backward regions of the country are identified and national and local media are taken on tours to visit these projects to get firsthand account of the efforts of the individuals, organizations and Government agencies and report the same in media

FEEDBACK, FEATURE AND PHOTO SERVICES

Bureaus officers attached to various Ministry/Departments also provide feedback to their respective Ministries and Departments. As part of the Special Services, the Feedback Cell in PIB prepares Daily Digests and Special Digests based on news stories and editorials from National as well as Regional dailies and periodicals for the use by Ministries. The Feature Unit of the Bureau issues backgrounders, updates, info-nuggets, features and graphics, which were also sent to the Regional/Branch offices for translation and circulation to the local media.

ACCREDITATION AND OTHER SERVICES

The PIB provides accreditation to media representatives including foreign media at the Headquarters. This facilitates them to access information from the Government sources. The number of media persons accredited is 1618 correspondents and 476 cameramen/photographers. Besides, 152 technicians and 84 editors and media critics have also been granted accreditation. The Bureau has adopted a fully online system of accreditation from the year 2009. PHOTO DIVISION

Photo Division a subordinate office of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, is the largest organization in the country in the production and storage of Still Photographs. Established in October, 1959. Photo Division has more than 10 Lakhs of negatives/ transparencies and now in digital format right from the Pre-Independence time up to the present day which are of archival and historical value. Apart from documenting various activities of the Central Government, Division has built up an invaluable collection of photographs on different aspects of Indian Life, culture, flora and fauna, social and industrial growth. The main function of the Division is to illustrate photographically the growth, development and social changes in the country and provide visual support to the Media units of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and to other Central and State Government Departments including President Secretariat, Vice-President Secretariat, Prime Minister's Office, Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat and Indian Missions abroad through External Affairs

The Division on an average covers 4000 News and Feature assignments annually.It handled about a lakh of negatives/digital images, transparencies. The Division covers photographically almost all major events of National importance and also supplies on payment, Black & White and Colour prints to Non-Publicity Organizations and General Public under the Division's Pricing Scheme. With the establishment of News Photo Network", the Division is presently covering assignments in digital format and converting all the conventional images in the digital format and distributes photographs at the shortest possible time all over the country for publishing Government Policies and Programmes. The news photographs of the Division are available on internet on photodivision.gov.in

RNI

The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India, more popularly known as RNI came into being on 1^st July, 1956, on the recommendation of the First Press Commission in 1953 and by amending the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867.

The Press and Registration of Books Act contains the duties and functions of the RNI. On account of some more responsibilities entrusted upon RNI during all these years, the office is performing both statutory as well as some non-statutory functions.

Under Statutory Functions, the following jobs are covered:

    Compilation and maintenance of a Register of Newspapers containing particulars about all the newspapers published.

            Issue of Certificate of Registration to the newspapers published under valid declaration;

      Scrutiny and analysis of annual statements sent by the publishers of newspapers every year under Section 19-D of the Press and Registration of Books Act containing information on circulation, ownership etc;

          Informing the District Magistrates about availability of titles, to intending publishers for filing declaration;

          Ensuring that newspapers are published in accordance with the provisions of the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867 and the Rules made there under.

          Verification under Section 19-F of the PRB Act, of circulation claims furnished by the publishers in their Annual Statements; and      Preparation and submission to the Government on or before 31^st December each year, a report containing all available information and statistics about the press in India with particular reference to the emerging trends in circulation and in the direction of common ownership units etc.

The following items fall under the non-statutory functions:

         Formulation of Newsprint Allocation Policy - Guidelines and issue of Eligibility Certificate to the newspapers to enable them to import newsprint and to procure indigenous newsprint.

          Assessing and certifying the essential need and requirement of newspaper establishments to import printing and composing machinery and allied materials.

DAVP-A BRIEF HISTORY

The Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP) is the nodal agency to undertake multi-media advertising and publicity for various Ministries and Departments of Government of India. Some of the Autonomous Bodies also route their advertisements through DAVP. As a service agency, it endeavors to communicate at grass roots level on behalf of various Central Government Ministries.

The origin of DAVP can be traced to the times of World War-II. Immediately after the out-break of Second World War, the erstwhile government of India appointed a Chief Press Advisor. Besides other things, advertising was also the responsibility of the Chief Press Advisor. A post of Advertising Consultant was created in June 1941 under the Chief Press Advisor. This is where DAVP has its roots. On March 1, 1942, the Advertising Consultant Office became the Advertising Branch of the Department of Information & Broadcasting. Following the expansion in its scope, functions and activities, this Advertising unit was declared an Attached Office of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on October 1, 1955. The office also assumed the name of Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP). DAVP was further declared as Head of a Department on April 4, 1959. By virtue of this declaration, financial and administrative powers were delegated to DAVP.

Our Role :

DAVP has been working as a catalyst of social change and economic growth over the years. It has been instrumental in creating awareness amongst masses on socio-economic themes, seeking their participation in developmental activities and for eradication of poverty and social evils.

·         1. To perform the functions of a multi-media advertising agency for the Central Government.

·         2. To act as service agency for Central Government ministries/departments to meet their publicity needs including production of media inputs as well as dissemination of messages/information.

·         3. To help Central Government departments in formulating communication strategies/media plans and help implement them at the grass-root level by providing multi-media support.

The channels of communication used are :

·         1. Advertisements - Release of press ads

·         2. Exhibitions - Putting up exhibitions

·         3. Outdoor Publicity - Display of hoardings, kiosks, bus panels, wall paintings, cinema slides, banners etc.

·         4. Printed Publicity - Booklets, folders, posters, leaflets, calendars, diaries etc.

·         5. Audio & Visual Publicity - Spots/Quickies, jingles, sponsored programmes, short films etc.

·         6. Mailing of publicity material - Distribution of publicity material

·         7. Digital media publicity through Bulk SMS website and other emerging Media.

The main set-up of DAVP at the headquarters consists of :

·         1. Campaign Wing - for coordinating publicity campaigns

·         2. Advertising Wing - for release of press advertisement

·         3. Outdoor Publicity Wing - for display of outdoor publicity material

·         4. Printed Publicity Wing - for printing of publicity material

·         5. Exhibition Wing - for putting-up exhibitions

·         6. Mass Mailing Wing - for distribution of publicity material

·         7. Audio-Visual Cell - for production of audio/video programmes

·         8. Studio with DTP facility - for designing

·         9. Copy Wing - for making copy

·         10. Coordination Cell - for coordinating PQs,VIP ref., Parl. Committees

·         11. Electronic Data Processing Centre - for processing of bills.

·         12. Accounts Wing

·         13. Administration Wing

DAVP has a network of offices spread all over the country. DAVP has:-

·         1. Two Regional Offices at Bangalore and Guwahati to coordinate the Directorate's activities in the region.

·         2. Two Regional Distribution Centres at Calcutta and Chennai look after distribution of publicity material in eastern and southern regions, respectively.

·         3. 35 Field Exhibition Units which include seven mobile exhibition vans, seven family welfare units and 21 general field exhibition units.

·         4. Regional Exhibition Workshop at Chennai and

·         5. Exhibition Kit Production Centre at Guwahati assist the Exhibition Division at headquarters in designing and fabricating exhibits.

Some of the important subjects publicised by DAVP include:-

·         1. Health & Family Welfare

·         2. Drug Abuse & Prohibition

·         3. Women & Child Development

·         4. Upliftment of Girl Child

·         5. Education

·         6. Adult Education

·         7. Non-Conventional Energy Sources

·         8. Mahila Samridhi Yojana

·         9. National Integration & Communal Harmony

·         10. Creating public opinion against dowry, female infanticide,child labour, beggery etc.

·         11. Blood Donation

·         12. AIDS Awareness

·         13. Consumer Protection

·         14. Safe Drinking Water

·         15. Welfare of the Handicapped

·         16. Water-Borne Diseases

·         17. Handicrafts

·         18. Social Welfare Programmes

·         19. Agriculture

·         20. Food & Nutrition

·         21. National Social Assistance Programmes

·         22. TRYSEM

·         23. IRDP

·         24. DWCRA

·         25. Employment Assurance Scheme

·         26. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana

·         27. Panchayati Raj and

·         28. Commemoration of 50 Years of India's Independence

·          

·          The Directorate of Field Publicity is one of the Media Units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is engaged in the task of publicizing various programmes and policies of the Government through its network of 207 Field Publicity Units under the control and supervision of 22 Regional Offices.

·              Field Publicity came into existence in 1953 with 32 Field Publicity Units under the control of four Regional Offices. The set-up was created under the integrated publicity programme named "Five Year Plan Publicity Organization". The Ministry directly exercised administrative control over the Units and Regional Offices. Later a full-fledged Directorate was constituted in 1959 to supervise and control the activities of the Regional Offices and the Field Publicity Units and it came to be called "Directorate of Field Publicity".

After the Sino-India war in 1962 and the Indo-Pak War in 1965, some radical changes in the approach and working of DFP became necessary in view of the urgent need for boosting the nation’s morale and for mentally preparing the people to meet any external threat. Accordingly, 34 more new units were created in 1963 and another 33 in 1965 for publicity exclusively in the border areas.  Presently, out of the present strength of 207 Field Units, 61 are Border Units

Directorate of Field Publicity

VISION:   Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP) envisages direct contact with people so that information about plans, programmes, schemes, policies and achievements of Government of India is delivered to them at their doorsteps and also at their convenience; to take immediate direct feedback from the people back to the Government; to improve effective two-way information flow between the Government of India and the people; improve people’s participation by making informed choices in development activities planned by the Union Government for their benefit. In effect, DFP envisions to become a world class messenger in interpersonal communication mode between the Government of India and the people thereby creating a better informed society  MISSION:   DFP strives to intensify its contact with people, initially in remote, rural, tribal, backward and media shadow areas, through setting up of information delivery mechanism in every district of the country and alternatively through other modes by enlisting people’s participation as field communicators on behalf of DFP in the process creating more work opportunities; to use modern technology for further strengthening benefits of interpersonal communication; to empower more and more people with information to help improve the quality of their lives. DFP is the only Directorate of the Government of India engaged in interpersonal communication with the common man.   OBJECTIVES:    To project plans, programmes, schemes, policies and achievements of Government of India by bringing its men and material face to face with the people and to inform them about the plans and schemes formulated for their benefit.  • To educate people about the fundamental national values like democracy, socialism, secularism and communal harmony and to reinforce their faith in them through constant personal contacts. • To establish rapport with the people at the grass root level for their active participation in the developmental activities as also to mobilize public opinion in favour of implementation of welfare and developmental programmes. • To gather people’s reactions to the programmes and policies of the Government and their implementation and to report them back for appropriate action and course corrective measures, wherever required.    FUNCTIONS:   Through its present 207 Field Units spread across the country, DFP carries out routine and special awareness campaigns on various programmes and policies of Ministries and Departments of Union Government. Being a field organization, DFP seeks to disseminate information, generate awareness and bring about attitudinal change in the people towards Union Government’s plans and programmes. DFP collects feedback from the people about various initiatives and policies of the Government. DFP thus acts as a bridge between the people and the Government in the true sense. The public awareness activities of DFP are organized in collaboration and coordination with Central and State Government, People’s Representatives, PRIs, Opinion Leaders, Local NGOs and institutions working to facilitate various developmental and social welfare programmes of the Government.

The Directorate of Field Publicity functions in three tiers, namely:

Film Shows

One of the main formats of publicity used by the field units is the audio-visual programme in the form of film shows. Messages are put across to the audience in the form of entertaining documentary films. Sometimes feature films are also screened as crowd puller. Sources of documentary/feature films used by DFP are:
 1. Films Division  2. National Films Development Corporation 3. Children's Film Society 4. Doordharshan 5. Various Ministries 6. Private producers.
Whenever necessary, in addition to Hindi, documentary films are dubbed into the following regional Indian languages: 1. Marathi 2. Gujarati 3. Telugu 4. Kannada 5. Tamil 6. Malayalam 7. Bengali 8. Oriya 9. Assamese 10. Manipuri 11. Punjabi 12. Kashmiri 13. Dogri 14. Urdu 15. Nepali,16. Konkani The Field Publicity Units are provided with documentary films on various topics such as National Integration and Communal Harmony, Health, Family welfare, AIDS Awareness, Rural Development, Child Rights, Girl Child, Environment, etc. The Field Publicity units are equipped with audio-visual equipment such as Portable Video projector, films, PA equipment and generator. As the film show programmes, particularly those arranged in open areas after sunset, attract large audiences, the Field Officer makes the best use of the opportunity by not only putting across the message/messages through the medium of film, but also by punctuating the screening with crisp and to-the-point talks on the themes. The same applies to film show programmes that are organised in closed halls during daytime in schools, colleges and other institutions.

Photo Exhibition 

All the Field Publicity units are equipped with portable exhibition kits. Apart from the exhibition sets supplied by DVAP, DFP has also produced three 16-panel exhibition sets on AIDS Awareness, Pulse Polio Immunisation and Child Labour. When a Field unit reaches the programme site, which may be a village or a slum in the urban area, the Field Publicity Officer contacts the opinion leaders including the Pradhan and Sarpanch with a view to involve them with the programme. During the day the exhibition is displayed at an appropriate place like a classroom, a verandah of a school or a Panchayat Hall, to which people from nearby places are invited. The exhibits are explained to the visitors with the maximum possible information. Effort is also made by the Field Officers to provoke questions from the audience on various issues and answer these in order to remove any doubts from the minds. 

Song And Drama

Apart from film shows programmes, the Field Units also organise Song and Drama programmes, which comprise the following popular categories: (a) Drama, and (b) Composite Programme (including music concert, ballet, folk dance, Qawali etc.) Traditional cultural media like folk song/folk play, Hari Katha, Puppet show, Raslila, Aalha, poetic symposia etc are also utilised by the field units.

Oral Communication Programmes

The most important mode of communication used by the Field Publicity Unit, is the oral communication or inter-personal communication. Seminars, symposia, group discussions, etc. are the various methods of oral communication. Since the field officers come face-to-face with the people, they have the advantage of using this medium for communicating various messages. The Field Officer through these programmes has the advantage of watching the reactions of the people. While he removes the doubts raised to the extent possible on the spot, he reports back to the headquarters the reactions where action at a higher level is called for. 

Special Programmes

With the objective to have people’s participation and involvement, the Field Publicity Officers organise special programmes in the form of competitions. Some of them are - essay competitions, debates, elocution contests, patriotic song competitions, healthy baby shows, local talent competitions, painting and drawing competitions, rural sports, Rangoli, Rallies on various themes are also Organized . Attractive prizes in the form of books and other utility items are awarded to the winners.

Printed Publicity Material

At the exhibition site, as also at the place where the film shows are arranged, printed material

ABOUT US

History:-

The Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has played a pioneering role in the growth and development of book industry in post-Independence India.  The Division, which has descended in some ways from the department set up by the British Government to conduct propaganda against the Axis Powers during World War-II, brought out periodicals in not only English, Hindi and Urdu, but also in some foreign languages, e.g. Persian, Arabic and Russian. Its publications included the Arabic version (abridged) of David Copperfieldand the Ramayana in a Russian fortnightly. It had its own printing press. While many other departments engaged in counter-propaganda, e.g., films and entertainment, exhibition etc. were wound up, the government, recognizing that providing information was the key to  progress, retained this department. It was the Publications Division that carried the message of the Five Year Plans to the people and produced books of general interest and magazines largely for informing or motivating the people.

Publications Division (PD) is one of the leading publishing houses of the country and the largest in public sector.  It is a repository of books and journals for highlighting matters of national importance and India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.  It holds the exclusive mandate for preserving national heritage and disseminating information through the production and sale of low priced, quality reading material on subjects of national importance. The subjects range from art, history, culture, biographies of eminent persons, land and people, flora and fauna, children’s literature, science and technology and Gandhian Literature to work of reference like India – A Reference Annual.  The Division also brings out selected speeches of the Presidents and Prime Ministers of India.  With headquarters at Delhi, the Division functions through its various field units – Sales Emporia at New Delhi, Mumbai,  Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Yojana Offices at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Bangalore.  The offices of Employment News and Journals Unit are located in New Delhi.

It carries out sales of publications through its own sale outlets located at important cities as well as through the agents. It also takes part in exhibitions and book fairs to promote sale of books and journals.

It has so far published more than 7600 titles, out of which 1500 titles are live on date.

Besides books, the Publications Division brings out 21 Journals on issues of national importance and social purpose viz:

Bal Bharati, the popular children’s monthly in Hindi, is being published regularly since 1948. Its objective is to provide healthy entertainment to children while educating them at the same time and also inculcating in them human values and scientific temper through short stories, poems, picture stories and informative articles.

Ajkal, the prestigious literary magazine in Hindi and Urdu, brings out a number of special issues and covers different aspects of Indian culture and literature.

Yojana, the flagship journal of the Division seeks to carry the message of planned development to all sections of society and serves as a forum to promote a healthy discussion representing a cross-section of views on socio-economic aspects of development. Yojana, which is published in 13 languages, presents an all India perspective while highlighting regional development, innovations and initiatives.

Kurukshetra, the journal on rural development is serving as a forum for exchange of ideas on programmes, policies and implementation status of  development efforts in the rural sector.

Employment News/Rozgar Samachar - published in English, Hindi and Urdu every week is the largest circulated career guide today. It carries information about job vacancies in Central/State Government departments, public sector undertakings, educational institutions and reputed private organisations. Its editorial pages include a lead article, diary of events, letters to the editors, quotations, articles on the world of science, besides those on career guidance and other matters of use to examinees.

Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards: The Bharatendu Harishchandra Awards, originally instituted to encourage original creative writing in Hindi on mass communication, are also given for children’s literature, women’s problems and national integration.

Multi-Media Interactive CDs

The Division has entered in the field of e-publishing through its Multi-Media Interactive CD project. It aims at projecting the varied cultural opulence of India among the new-media friendly generation in India and abroad. The multi-media interactive CD-ROM not only includes Audio Visual documentation on the subject but also an electronic book of selected important writings on the subject, interactive quiz, hyper-links to concerned websites and wherever possible, virtual walk throughs and virtual reality features. Our CDs are the first of their kind produced by the Government.

The following multimedia interactive e-books in CD format are available:

Brihadishwara Temple

- A World Heritage Monument

The CD contains the following topics: =Location =History=Architecture= Paintings= Events and  =E-book

Goa

- A World Heritage and Tourist Destination

The CD contains the following: =History =Art & Architecture =Monuments and Museums =National Resources =Towns and Markets =Fairs and Festivals =Music and Dance =People and Life Style = Food and Beaches

Indian Paintings

- Covering Rock Paintings to Modern Arts

The CD has the following sections: =Murals =Manuscript Paintings (Pala and Jain) =Mughal Miniatures =Deccani Miniatures =Rajasthani Miniatures =Company Paintings= Rock Art =Folk and Tribal Art and=the Modern Idiom.

Konark

     -The Black Pagoda

The interactive section includes =Film =A walkthrough =E-book=Konark =History =Architecture and Sculpture Art =Sun Temple Complex & Adjoining Monuments =Photo Gallery and nearby sites.

Legacy of Adi Shankara

-Culture & Knowledge Tourism in India

The legacy of Adi Shankara is well-explained in the Multi-media interactive CD. It presents a detailed description of the life and works of Adi Shankara and carries audio of our popular hymns composed by him as also the video footage of the multi-tradition established by him.

Sanchi Stupa

-A Spiritual Symphony in Stone

(A World Heritage Buddhist Monument)

The interactive section includes =Glimpses of Sanchi =A virtual walkthrough =E-book =Snippets =Quiz and =Photo Gallery.

Qutub and Mehrauli Complex

-A World Heritage Monument

The CD contains =Qutub Complex =Qutub Minar =Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque =Iron Pillar =Iltutmish's Tomb =Alai Darwaza =Around Mehrauli =Quiz =E-book =History =Virtual walkthrough.
(COURTESY MINISTRY OF I&B)