Know your Ministry - No. 33 - Information and Broadcasting

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is one of the vital Ministries that represent the face of the government in reaching out to the masses. The Ministry is entrusted with the task of disseminating information about government policies, schemes and programmes through the different medium of mass communication covering radio, television, press, social media, printed publicity like booklets; posters, outdoor publicity including through traditional modes of communication such as dance, drama, folk recitals, puppet shows etc. The Ministry is also the focal point as regards policy matters related to private broadcasting sector, administering of the public broadcasting service- Prasar Bharati, multi-media advertising and publicity of the policies and programmes of the Union Government, film promotion and certification and regulation of print media.

On the public service broadcasting sphere, the Ministry overviews matters relating to All India Radio and Doordarshan through the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India Act),1990 which includes regulation of the use of All India Radio and Doordarshan by recognised national and regional political parties during elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies and procedure to be followed by the official electronic media during periods of national mourning on the demise of a high dignitary.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is functionally organized into three wings (i) Information Wing, (ii) Broadcasting Wing and (iii) Films Wing.

The Ministry has established a Vision to Create an enabling environment for sustained growth of media and entertainment sector, facilitate value based wholesome entertainment and effectively disseminate information on government policies, programmes and achievements.

Ministry's Mission:

• To effectively disseminate information on the policies, programmes and achievements of Government while ensuring free flow of information to the public and safeguarding freedom of the press and media in general.
• To communicate and publicize the Government’s Flagship programmes directly to the beneficiaries through appropriate multimedia public campaigns down to the grassroots level.
• Strengthen and expand infrastructural support in order to create opportunities for young talent to develop its potential in the fields of print media, electronic media and films.
• To promote, facilitate and develop the Broadcasting Industry in India and strengthen the Public Service Broadcaster.
• Adopt a structured and time bound approach towards evolving a sound and accurate ‘Rating’ systems for Broadcasting Sector which has an over-riding impact on content creation by Broadcasters.
• Activate the process to evolve Public Private Participation (PPP) mode in the entertainment and media sectors with industry bodies.
• To promote and develop good and value based cinema for healthy entertainment of people of all ages and create a policy framework for achieving this.
• To restore, digitalize, preserve and enhance public access to the archival wealth of films, video and audio resources.
• Make India the hub for Animation, Gaming and VFX Sector utilizing the comparative advantage of India in this sector.
• Combat film, music and video piracy in coordination with other concerned agencies.
• Promote good cinema and propagate film culture through film festivals & celebrations.
• Ensure transparency in decision making relating to core mandate of the Ministry and eliminate delays in implementation at all levels thereto.

Attached and Subordinate Organizations:  Press Information Bureau, Bureau of Outreach & Communication, Publications Division, Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India, Central Board of Film Certification, Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, Photo Division, Electronic Media Monitoring Centre(EMMC), National Film Archives of India and New Media Wing.

Autonomous Organizations:  Prasar Bharati, All India Radio, Doordarshan, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune,Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Children`s Film Society of India and Indian Institute of Mass Communication.

Statutory Bodies: Press Council of India and Film Certification Appellate Tribunal.

Public Sector Undertakings: National Film Development Corporation Limited (NFDC) and Broadcast Engineering Consultants (India) Limited (BECIL)

CHALLENGES

• Lack of participation and inefficiency by Government to facilitate smart marketing of our Government programmes of Schemes instead of outsourcing to private players who only make money through their marketing of all types of goods using the prime slots of broadcast or telecast of cricket, serials or movies.
• Impediments to establish a framework to facilitate sustained growth of media and entertainment sector.
• Mushrooming of OTT platforms due to weak Regulatory control to check depletion of culture and moral values depicted in the name of wholesome entertainment through Realty shows, uncensored movies, etc given an open licence to telecast violence, obscenity, gambling, etc.
• Ineffectiveness to reach information on government policies, flagship programmes and achievements due to competitive weaknesses displayed by AIR and Doordarshan ensuring free flow of information to the public.
• Lack of legislative control to check growth of paid media and safeguard freedom of the press and media in general.
• Inordinate delays due to inefficiencies and lack of transparency in decision making to implement the core mandate of the Ministry.
• Failure to explore the productivity avenues that contribute to nation’s GDP through promotion of good cinema and propagate film culture through film festivals & celebrations.

WAY FORWARD

• The Government recognizes radio as an immensely powerful medium due to the fact that it is free to air nature, ease of reception, affordability and diversity, ease of listenership at all places and at all times as a powerful tool. Hence Government should support, develop and strengthen Radio broadcasting services (AIR) to reach every nook and corner of the country.
• Encourage student communities to engage in developing innovations in Information and Communication technology
• Strengthen and expand infrastructural support in order to create opportunities for young talented entrepreneurs to explore its potential in the fields of print media, electronic media and films.
• Formulate an Action Plan for Inclusiveness of accessibility of Information by integrating the entertainment and media sectors with the Employment generation sectors.
• To chalk out effective strategies and effective policy framework to develop good and value based cinema for healthy entertainment of people of all ages to improve public access to the archival wealth of films, video and audio resources especially to remote centres.
• Strengthen the technology framework to cull out illegal operators engaged in video piracy by establishing robust integration with related government machineries.
• To revisit and review all the legal parameters related to Disclosure of source of Information by Social Media, Freedom of Speech (Article 19 of the Constitution), Obscene & Indecent Advertisements & Displays in all types of Media (Social, Print & Mainstream electronic media) and repeal or improve the extant obsolete laws governing Information & Broadcasting industry, Cyber Crimes, Piracy, Plagiarism, etc.