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Tag: Narendra Modi

  • Eleven communication satellites operational; six more under development: Govt

    Eleven communication satellites operational; six more under development: Govt

    NEW DELHI: Eleven Indian satellites including four for communications were successfully launched during the last three years between January 2012 and February 2015, apart from the launch of 13 foreign satellites.

     

    Out of these, the expenditure incurred on launching the Indian satellites being used for communications in the last three years was pegged at Rs 1656.11 crore. The breakup is as follows: GSAT-14: Rs 173 crore, GSAT-10: Rs 406.82 crore, GSAT-7: Rs 495.29 crore and GSAT-16: Rs 581 crore.

     

    There are a total of eleven communication satellites out of the 27 satellites that are operational in the country currently.

     

    These are: INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12, GSAT-14 and GSAT-16.

     

    A total of six communication satellites namely GSAT-15, GSAT-9, GSAT-6, GSAT-6A, GSAT-7A and GSAT-11, are being developed indigenously as part of the XII Five Year Plan (2012-17).

     

    A total of 95 Ku-band (a part of K band) transponders onboard indigenous communication satellites are being utilised for various communication applications.

     

    Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office Jitendra Singh told Parliament that the government is also working on resolving the connectivity issues in the hilly areas.

  • Ecstatic India is all set for World Cup 2015

    Ecstatic India is all set for World Cup 2015

    MUMBAI: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key declared the World Cup open on 12 February, 2015 in Christchurch. With thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opened in spectacular fashion with star-laden events in both Christchurch and Melbourne.

    Featuring sporting and entertainment icons, cultural performances and impressive pyrotechnic displays, the opening event has set the right tune for the 2015 World Cup.

    With digital being the theme for 2015, a giant robot lit with LED lights is the mascot for this edition of the World Cup.

    The ceremony did not become a talking point in India and the World Cup enthusiasm was missing the ignition, which finally came from none other than the digital savvy Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. He used Twitter to infuse the World Cup enthusiasm in players and spectators’ mind with his emotional tweet, “As the 2015 Cricket World Cup begins, my best wishes to the Indian Cricket Team. Khelo Dil se World Cup Lao phirse.” The rhythmic Hindi line may give tough competition to Star Sports’ campaign slogan We won’t give it back.

    Modi also used the social media platform to convey his best wishes to each and every member of the team by tweeting individually to them. His tweet to captain Dhoni read, “My best wishes to captain cool @msdhoni. Play hard, lead well & make India proud. Knowing you, I am sure you will.” The humorous tweet dedicated to Ravindra Jadeja said, “Who is not a fan of Sir Jadeja? We all look forward to seeing your all round performances take India to victory! @imjadeja.”   

    Modi also took the opportunity to reach out to the leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. In a series of tweets the PM mentioned, “Spoke to President @ashrafghani, PM Sheikh Hasina, PM Nawaz Sharif & President Sirisena. Conveyed my best wishes for the Cricket World Cup. 5 SAARC Nations are playing & are excited about the World Cup. Am sure WC will celebrate sportsman spirit & will be a treat for sports lovers. Cricket connects people in our region & promotes goodwill. Hope players from SAARC region play with passion & bring laurels to the region.”

    Not only the Prime Minister but the entire media fraternity is also buoyed by the World Cup. Indiantelevision.com took the opportunity to know media stalwarts’ plan for the flagship tournament.

    When asked about the Word Cup plans NDTV executive vice-chairperson K.V.L. Narayan Rao replied, “I am highly excited about the tournament and I will cheer my heart out for India.  I will rate India as my favourites despite their current poor performances. Star India’s ‘We won’t give it back’ campaign was a positive one, it sends a good message to both players and audiences. The players would be playing in Australia and New Zealand and it is very important for us to support them from here in India. Our loyalties will make them stronger.”

    Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta added, “Though I don’t follow 50 overs cricket a lot, I will try to catch as much action as possible. The team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament will win. I want the best team to win.”

    Hats Off productions founder J D Majhetia said, “I am ecstatic about the World Cup. Though my heart is always with India, I am supporting Australia and South Africa. It’s high time South Africa wins a World Cup if not India. I have travelled all across to catch World Cup actions live. World Cup is a celebration and I will celebrate with fans and families.”

    Madison Communications COO Karthik Lakshminarayanan asserted, “I am definitely excited about the tournament and will try to see all the India matches. I will support the team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament. I expect this tournament to be one of the finest in terms of discipline and sportsman spirit.”

  • ‘Mann Ki Baat’ expected to centre around students’ exams; Modi invites suggestions

    ‘Mann Ki Baat’ expected to centre around students’ exams; Modi invites suggestions

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited suggestions and inputs for Mann Ki Baat that will be broadcast on All India Radio (AIR) in February 2015. 

     

    “Was thinking about this month’s radio programme and thought… why not share Mann Ki Baat with students preparing for board and competitive exams. I urge students, parents and teachers to share exam experiences that would inspire youngsters and even motivate them in exam preparation,” Modi said. 

     

    He added, “Like always, I will share some of your thoughts, inputs and anecdotes during the programme. Do share them here. http://mygov.in/groupissue/inputs-for-mann-ki-baat-february-2015/show.”

     

    AIR sources said the monthly broadcast was expected to be broadcast either in the third week or the last week of this month. 

  • “Govt. should reconsider extending excise duty concessions to consumer durables”: Anirudh Dhoot

    “Govt. should reconsider extending excise duty concessions to consumer durables”: Anirudh Dhoot

    MUMBAI: With the government of India deciding to withdraw the sops offered to the consumer durable industry, the move has come as a shocker to the sector.

     

    Commenting on the decision taken by the government, Videocon director Anirudh Dhoot said, “The Indian government’s decision to not extend excise duty concession has come as a setback to the consumer durable industry.”

     

    Dhoot further requested that the government should reconsider the increased excise duty sops in the upcoming budget as it will give a boost to manufacturing and bring revival to the sector.

     

    Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s highly anticipated and pet project, ‘Make in India’ campaign, Dhoot said that the country was capable enough to hold up the “Make in India” campaign. But going further he cautioned that in order to achieve this vision, the foremost action was to formulate policies and grant infrastructural support favouring electronic components and panel manufacturing in India. Dhoot’s Direct To Home (DTH) company Videocon d2h is also into the manufacturing of indigenous Set Top Boxes (STB).

     

    “We expect better guidelines and framework that strengthens consumer durable industry and benefits homegrown produce from this budget,” Dhoot added.

     

    On a concluding note Dhoot feels that at an overall level, the Union Budget needs to adopt a pragmatic approach towards addressing the needs of the consumer durable sector to manage its fiscal position. “This can take India back to a higher growth trajectory,” declared Dhoot.

  • Digital advertising spend to see 35% growth in India

    Digital advertising spend to see 35% growth in India

    MUMBAI: India’s booming digital advertising market has “reached a tipping point” and is set for double-digit growth driven by global investment in the country and policy reforms under the new Narendra Modi administration, according to ad:tech head of EMEA & India James Drake-Brockman.

     

    Led by mobile, social media and the emergence of new technologies, digital advertising spend in India is expected to increase by an impressive 35 per cent in 2015 and further growth is predicted as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ policy enhances India’s internet infrastructure.

     

    As global industry leaders prepare to gather in Gurgaon for ad:tech New Delhi conference on 19-20 March, Brockman feels that India’s burgeoning advertising technology sector is experiencing unprecedented investment as advertisers switch on to the growing need to allocate digital resource. “A strong digital presence is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – those who don’t will struggle to keep up with the ever evolving relationship between brand and consumer,” he said.

     

    Last year’s ad:tech New Delhi happened at a time when India had reached a tipping point of investment. Rather than attendees using the event to gather information and understand what is out there, they were coming to the event and treating it as a marketplace with serious budgets to invest.  

     

    “The surge in number of brands sending groups of marketers to the event in 2015 reflects this trend and demonstrates the fact that India’s marketing community is serious about digital,” added Brockman.

     

    The ‘Digital India’ policy and the prospect of getting India’s 1.3 billion people online has compounded interest in the sector: “Advertisers realise that increased internet access combined with changing consumer behaviour and spending have created a unique window of opportunity. They realise that they need the right digital advertising tools to capitalise and are turning to technology companies here in India and overseas for solutions and partners,” said ad:tech New Delhi head of content and marketing Vinish Joshi.

     

    “All of this is good news for the advertising technology industry, good news for the economy and good news for India,” added Joshi.

     

    Featuring a ‘Digital Ahead’ theme, over 5,000 people are expected to attend ad:tech New Delhi where industry leaders speaking include Unilever VP media for Asia, Africa, Middle East, Turkey and Russia Rahul Welde, Group M chief digital officer Rob Norman and Flipkart head of fashion Mukesh Bansal.

  • Obamania: The biggest blockbuster of 2015

    Obamania: The biggest blockbuster of 2015

    For India weekend means late mornings, set of movies in theatres and relaxation. Subsequently Indian news media shifts the focus from hard news to Bollywood gossips and cupids. ’Twas a similar weekend but in the National Capital, the excitement was almost palpable on a sodden morning of fog and rain. The Eagle had indeed landed at the Palam Airport carrying POTUS and FLOTUS!

    Yes, it was the Air Force One carrying President of the United States Barack Obama and his wife and First Lady of the United States Michele Obama.

    Obamania had begun!

    The media spotlights were aimed on the door of that aircraft and journalists were on the edge of their seats in the studios. The moment the door opened, breaking news and flash tickers started rolling in each and every news channel. Every news channel began its claim of being distinguished and unabated. If one channel was emphasizing on economics, the other was showing exclusive footages of the hotel. Creative juices were flowing freely as far as headlines and programme names go on various news channels!

    NDTV named its coverage ‘Namo’ste Obama’, with anchoring responsibility majorly rotating amongst its senior brass of journalists namely Vishnu Som, Sreenivasan Jain, Vikram Chandra and Barkha Dutt. They ensured cameras were present everywhere and whatever penetrated through the lenses was discussed in detail with a panel of experts. Shekhar Gupta and Vivek Katju were among them.

    Times Now kept it simple by calling its coverage – “Obama’s India Visit.” CNN-IBN named it “Namaste Obama” and Headlines Today called it “Rolling Coverage Obama.”

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the entire three days’ coverage, NDTV CEO Vikram Chandra said, “We had a distinguished panel that had expertise in various fields and we were determined to have a comprehensive coverage. We were the only channel to have presence in the Taj Palace, where the CEOs met President Obama and Prime Minister Modi. We were also present in DAVOS where global economics was debated in presence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and economist Nouriel Roubini.”

    The US President’s visit to attend the 66th Republic Day Celebration of India was indeed an event of historical importance. That aside, a lot of economic and strategic modifications were also expected from the visit. India now has a stable Government with absolute majority in the Lower House and economic growth is one of the prime need of the country at this point. The current Government has made its position clear on developing an open, business friendly market scenario. Not long back, India was one of the fragile five economies of the world and now the country aspires to be in the fantastic five.

    All news channels were exclusively covering the developments in Hyderabad House where Obama met Modi for a bilateral dialogue. After hours of speculations of what was happening inside, the deadlock was broken in a joint press conference where channels got the second big breaking news, which they termed as ‘Nuke Deal.’ Soon after, all news broadcasters began discussions on the positives and negatives of the Indo – US nuclear deal. That was the major talking point of Day 1 of President Obama’s India visit.

    Day 2 was India’s Republic Day. It was bitterly cold weather with overcast sky accompanied by a slight drizzle and the focal point was ‘Rajpath.’ The coverage responsibility was on India’s public broadcaster Doordarshan. A three hour long extravaganza was put forward by valiant soldiers of respective battalions. And it concluded with an Air Show by the Indian Air Force.

    When queried about the entire coverage, Doordarshan India deputy director general (IR) C K Jain said, “We employed the best of infrastructure and technicians to cover the parade. There was absolutely no commercialisation and the parade was covered uninterrupted. We did not accept any commercial advertisement, we showed some government ads before and after.”

    All other private channels were relaying DD’s coverage.

    On a national holiday, when executives separate themselves from work and corporate meetings, 26 January would see them preparing for one of the biggest meetings of their lives. From Ratan Tata to Anil Ambani, they all queued up to meet POTUS. This was the second major talking point of Day 2 – the CEO meet. The focal point this time was ‘Taj Palace’ and the breaking news was the $4 billion investment promise made by Obama. The detailed discussion on the deal summed up Day 2 coverage of Obama’s Visit.

    Speaking about the commercial impact of the coverage, Maxus South Asia MD Kartik Sharma said, “We have to wait for the ratings to see which news channel performed better. As per my opinion, the English news channels were more specific and slightly better than the Hindi ones but Hindi news channels also catered well to their viewers. In news channels there was a marginal hike in ad rate due to Obama’s visit.”

    On Day 3, Obama left for Riyadh but before taking off he gave an amazing speech to the Indian media that could be discussed for days. Addressing a gathering of 2000 students, Obama started his speech by saying ‘Namaste’ and concluded it with ‘Jai Hind’. During his speech he paid gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, warned India against communalism and domestic fragmentation. To add to the delight of the students and journalists present, he recited the famous dialogue from the iconic Bollywood film, which completed 1000 weeks at the box office recently – Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayennge (DDLJ). “Senorita, bade bade deshon mein…you know what I mean,” said Obama. Not surprisingly, soon after DDLJ started trending on social media and became an important part of the round up.

    Though Obama’s visit was not a Bollywood movie, it turned out to be one of the biggest blockbuster event followed by one and all for various reasons.

  • ‘Mann ki Baat’ to feature Barrack Obama with Narendra Modi

    ‘Mann ki Baat’ to feature Barrack Obama with Narendra Modi

    NEW DELHI: This month’s edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ on All India Radio (AIR) will have two special features: it will feature both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting American President Barrack Obama, and will carry many commercials.

     

    The broadcast at 8 pm on the evening of 27 January is expected to be a simulcast by all major television channels including DD News.

     

    It is also expected to be carried on CNN simultaneously.

     

    The recording for ‘Mann ki Baat’ was done at the high-profile Hyderabad House in New Delhi at 3 pm on 25 January.

     

    Confirming this, AIR sources told indiantelevision.com that regional versions of this broadcast at 9 pm on 28 January will be carried by regional kendras of AIR.

     

    AIR will also have several commercials before and after the broadcast.

     

    Indians all over the world had been asked to give suggestions or questions for a special edition of the monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ on All India Radio this month. Questions or suggestions can be sent on mygov.nic.in. 

     

  • India Today Group to hold 3rd India Today Global Roundtable

    India Today Group to hold 3rd India Today Global Roundtable

    MUMBAI: From New York to New Delhi and from PM Modi’s trip to the US to President Barrack Obama’s trip to India, the third edition of The India Today Global Roundtable is poised to be the highpoint in the meeting of the two world Leaders. After the landmark events at New York and Kathmandu coinciding with PM Modi’s foreign trips, the third edition of the Roundtable at New Delhi running parallel to President Obama’s India visit is all set to raise the bar.

     

     The India Today Global Roundtable has established itself as the definitive global event that has seen the most eminent thought leaders from across the globe having intelligent discourses on issues of international consequence.  The success of the first two roundtables at New York on September 2014 and Kathmandu on November 2014, have clearly put the series on a pedestal as an Industry first and among the most keenly followed event of this stature.

     

     In the backdrop of the first American president’s visit for the Republic Day celebrations, the conclave will make sense of US implications on the subcontinent from trade to defence, nuclear deals to the war on terror and other key aspects of Indo – US significance.

     

     The most respected stalwarts with experience on issues pertaining to Obama’s India mission will debate and share their views on the unprecedented expectation of whether the historic event of the American President’s visit will truly be history in the making.

     

     The sessions at the roundtable will have General V.K. Singh (Retd), Union Minister of State for External Affairs talking on the role of India and the US in the War on terror. While the national and Global issue of Climate change will be taken up by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Jayant Sinha, Union Minister of State for Finance will share his views on a Successful journey in the Indo US Economic partnership.

     

    The eminent panelists at the roundtable will include the top faces in politics and business who have had a track record as the most respected names in their field.  The distinguished speakers at the event will include Manish Tewari, Former Union Minister, Seshadri Chari, Editor, AGNI & Former Editor, Organiser, and  Abdul Basit, Pakistani High Commissioner to India who will debate on the fragile trust issues between India, Pakistan and the USA.

     

    Nirupama Rao, Former Ambassador to the US will speak on bridging the distance between the two countries. While Hardeep Puri, Former Envoy to the United Nations and Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) Leader will debate on the road ahead for the Indo – US Nuclear Deal.

     

    On the business front Banmali Agrawala, President and CEO, GE South Asia and Som Mittal, Former president, NASSCOM will share his views on whether Modi will add to the investments.

     

    Rahul Chaudhry, CEO, Tata Power SED, Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India and Nik Khanna, Country Director, Raytheon India will speak on Defense related issues in the session Defense of the Realm – Life after Make in India.

     

    The Rise of the NRI and Becoming Part of the American Dream will see insights from Ram Madhav, General Secretary, BJP and Sanjay Puri, Convener, United States India Political Action Committee.

     

    The India Today Global Roundtable promises to be the defining event that will add the real perspective amidst the fanfare of President Obama’s India visit. The Event will be telecast through the day on 23rd January exclusively on Headlines Today.

  • Modi effect: India’s economic confidence upbeat, reports Ipsos

    Modi effect: India’s economic confidence upbeat, reports Ipsos

    MUMBAI: The Lok Sabha elections of 2014 were won on the promise of ‘achhe din aane wale hai’ (good days are going to come).

     

    And riding on that hope, Indians are very confident that Narendra Modi-led NDA government will carry on making progress on its domestic reforms agenda and encourage investments that will trigger economic growth and create more jobs.
     
    With more than seven in 10 (71 per cent) people expecting that the economy in their local area will be stronger in next six months, makes India the most optimistic country in the world.

     

    Indians have emerged as the second most confident people about their economy globally by end of 2014. This is on account of falling inflation due to lower oil prices, government’s commitment to contain fiscal deficit, promote investment and economic development, according to a report by global research firm Ipsos.

     
    According to the ‘Ipsos Economic Pulse of the World’ study, India’s economic confidence level has shot up to 81 per cent in December 2014, a very significant rise of 29 points over the past 12 months.

    More than half, 53 per cent Indians believe that the local economy, which impacts their personal finance is good. “The repo interest rate cut by RBI on Thursday from 8 per cent to 7.75 per cent is expected to boost economic confidence and add further momentum to economic growth,” said Ipsos India managing director Amit Adarkar.

     

    “The decision was primarily guided by dip in inflation, a sharp fall in global crude prices and expectations that the government would be doing enough to keep the fiscal deficit in check,” he added.

     

    The online Ipsos Economic Pulse of the World survey was conducted in November 2014 among 19,152 people in 24 countries.

     
    The clear winners in economic confidence recovery over the past 12 months in 2014 include India (+29), Great Britain (+19), China (+17), Russia (+12, but with a precipitous slide over the past four months (-18)), Poland (+11), United States (+11), Spain (+10) and Saudi Arabia (+5). The clear losers include Brazil (-11), South Korea (-11), and Argentina (-7).

     
    Those countries with marginal positive movement include Belgium (+2), Italy (+2), Egypt (+1), France (+1), Germany (+1), Hungary (+1) and Mexico (+1). Countries on positive watch include China (although it may have peaked), Great Britain, Poland, Spain and the United States.

     
    Those countries with marginal negative movement include Canada (-1), South Africa (-1), and Turkey (-2). Countries on negative watch include Argentina, Belgium, Brazil and Sweden.

     

    After showing slight improvement in November 2014, the average global economic assessment of national economies surveyed in 24 countries is down one point as 40 per cent of global citizen’s rate their national economies to be ‘good’.

     

    Despite two point decline, Saudi Arabia (85 per cent) remains at the top of the national economic assessment in December 2014, followed by India (81 per cent), China (78 per cent), Germany (74 per cent), Canada (67 per cent) and Sweden (67 per cent). At the other end of the assessment, only a small minority rate their national economy as good in France (6 per cent), followed by Italy (8 per cent), Spain (10 per cent), South Korea (11 per cent), Hungary (13 per cent) and Romania (16 per cent).

     

    Gaining momentum since last sounding, China (63 per cent) takes the lead in the local economy assessment ratings, which impacts people’s personal finance, followed by Saudi Arabia (61 per cent), India (53 per cent), Germany (52 per cent), Canada (47 per cent), Sweden (47 per cent) and Australia (40 per cent). Only one in ten (9 per cent) in Spain agree that the state of the current economy in their local area is ‘good’, followed by Italy (10 per cent), Japan (10 per cent), Romania (10 per cent), France (12 per cent), South Korea (13 per cent) and Hungary (14 per cent).

     

    Once again, India (71 per cent) holds the lead in the future outlook assessment rating. The rest of the highest-ranking countries are: Brazil (58 per cent), China (53 per cent), Saudi Arabia (50 per cent), Egypt (46 per cent), Argentina (34 per cent) and Mexico (31 per cent). The lowest-ranking country this month is France (4 per cent), followed by Italy (9 per cent), Japan (10 per cent), Belgium (11 per cent), Hungary (11 per cent), South Korea (11 per cent) and Germany (15 per cent).

     

  • Major initiatives of the I&B Ministry in 2014

    Major initiatives of the I&B Ministry in 2014

    The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has undertaken key initiatives in the different sectors aimed at enhancing the outreach of policies and programmes across platforms. Some of the initiatives undertaken have been innovative, involving people’s participation, enhancing government’s presence on the social media platforms and strengthening communication at the grassroots. Some of the key initiatives are as under:

     

    Initiatives under Swachh Bharat Mission

    As part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Ministry initiated a 360 degree multimedia campaign to enhance the outreach and impact of the Mission. All media units were involved in outlining audience specific content, tools and action plan. Intensive discussions were held with key stakeholders of the mission and innovative strategies were incorporated across media platforms for greater visibility and impact. Some of the key initiatives undertaken by the Ministry are as follows:
     

    Three Day Rashtriya Bal Film Mela on the theme “Swachhta”

    Organized by the Children’s Film Society of India (CSFI) on the occasion of National Children’s Day celebrations, the three day festival provided an opportunity for children to appreciate high-quality film content, experience value-based entertainment, and to trigger their imagination about environment conservation and cleanliness. The festival showcased a bunch of internationally acclaimed children’s films on the theme of cleanliness.

    The Festival featured interactive workshops on film-making, film appreciation, animation, Charlie Chaplin’s Mimes and storytelling. Live dance performances, magic act, sand act, and puppetry along with various competitions such as painting on the theme, ‘Swachhta’, and digital collage on the theme ‘Clean India’ and the craft of making utility items from waste materials, were being organized on the sidelines of the festival.

     

    1. Creation of Audio-Visual Spots on Swachh Bharat Mission.
    2. Animation / short video competition (less than three minute duration) organized on the digital volunteer platform of the Ministry with 15 October as deadline.
    3. Launch of Photo-Competition depicting “before and after pictures of cleanliness” on the digital volunteer platform with 15 October as deadline.
    4. Creation of an animation film by New Media Wing
    5. Crowd sourcing for the design of print advertisements
    6. Developing platform specific content on social media
    7. Creation of banners, logos and e-mailers for spreading of the message through social media
    8. Jingles on All India Radio
    9. Community Radio Mobilization to effectively reach the grass root communities
    10. Advisory to private TV & FM channels to become part of the campaign so as to enhance impact and outreach of the mission
    11. Anchor based and in-house serials on DD & AIR
    12. News bulletins through special success stories on DD & AIR
    13. Interactive programmes on DD & AIR
    14. Public Information Campaigns to focus on the core issues of the mission.
    15. Interpersonal communication strategies through field units of the Ministry.

     

    Launch of the DAVP Calendar, “Clean India, Green India”: The year 2015 calendar has been developed on the theme of “Clean India Green India” with focus on “Swachhta” and environment issues. The January page of the Calendar displayed the launch of the “Swachh Bharat Mission by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. While the February page carried the message of ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’ and ‘Bal Swachhta Abhiyan’, the March page was designed on the theme, ‘Rejuvenating Rivers.’ The April Page of the Calendar portrayed “Clean Hospitals: A Healthy India,” May depicted the cleanliness drive of Railways, June focused on Rejuvenation of the River Ganges, ‘Namami Gange’, and July on people’s participation in Swachh Bharat Movement. The August page was on the theme of Clean Villages; the month of September highlighted Solar Energy as clean and renewable source of energy; October depicted Wind Power as pollution free source of energy and November emphasized the need to preserve Himalayan Ranges. Wildlife conservation was the theme for December.

     

    For the first time ever, a mobile app of the calendar has been developed. The mobile App would provide access to the latest tweets from the PMO, the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the press releases on the PIB website. In addition to being a window for all websites of Government of India, this informative application would serve as a planner to the users bringing news updates from AIR and DD News. The mobile app was developed for Android platforms initially, which would be made available on other mobile platforms also in due course of time.

     

     

    Organising Press Conferences to highlight achievements and initiatives of the Government:The strategy adopted has been extremely successful in positioning the visibility of Government’s initiatives across media platforms.

     

    Multimedia Exhibition on Former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee:The Ministry of I&B has mounted a multimedia exhibition under the aegis of DAVP on the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The exhibition would serve as an inspiration and learning to the people in understanding the life and contributions of Shri Vajpayee as a politician, statesman, and poet. The exhibition was inaugurated by Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs, and Information & Broadcasting Shri Arun Jaitley on 20 December, 2014.

     

    The exhibition portrays the life of Shri Vajpayee, through a display of around 250 photographs, which reflect his vibrant personality. These rare pictures not only take the visitors through the political journey of this visionary leader, but also provide a glimpse into the diverse phases of his life – as a poet and a great thinker. At this event, different facets of his life will be showcased through photo and electronic exhibition. Scrollers, translites, LED walls, large fascia and title boards are the major attractions of the exhibition. The exhibition was open to public from 20 – 25 December, 2014.

     

    Establishment of Social Media Presence of Government of India: In order to facilitate Ministries/Departments in registering their presence on social media by utilizing the services of the Communications Hub established by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the ministry organized a half day training workshop on 11 July, 2014 at the National Media Centre. The response was very encouraging as about 150 officers representing 59 Ministries/Departments attended the workshop. An interactive Q&A session was also held before concluding the workshop and induction material including a handbook on social media was also distributed to all the participants.

     

    Third and fourth phase of digitization: A Task Force has been constituted with the approval of MIB to steer the remaining two phases i.e., Phase III and Phase IV of digitization in India. The Task Force is headed by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry and comprises stakeholders from various ministries, departments and industry representatives. The constitution of the Task Force paves the way for implementation of digitization initiative in India, which will see digitization of about 8 crores cable TV homes in India. This will bring India in the league of developed nations. It is also a step towards the Prime Minister’s dream of a Digital India, as digitization will enable quick penetration of broadband connectivity in India.

     

    Government of India vide Notification dated 11 September, 2014 has revised the timeframe for digitization for Phase-III and IV of the Cable TV. As per revised guidelines, Phase-III and IV of Cable TV would be completed by December 2015 and December 2016 respectively.

     

    Third phase of FM radio auction: The Cabinet Note on third phase of FM has been moved for cabinet approval. This decision of the Ministry of I&B will pave the way for e-auction of FM Phase-III channels.

     

    Goa declared the permanent destination for International Films Festival of India: In order to develop the “Brand IFFI” on the lines of other international film festivals, Goa has been declared as the permanent destination for International Films Festival of India (IFFI). The IFFI platform propagated the theme “Green India, Clean India” at all the major events organized under its banner.

     

    North East Film Festival: For the first time, a three-day North East Film Festival was held in Delhi (Siri Fort Complex) on a grand scale. It will henceforth be an annual feature, a prominent event in the film festival calendar of the Directorate of Film Festivals. The Festival concluded on 24 August, 2014.

     

    FTII, SRFTII to be institutes of national importance: In order to provide statutory backing through an act of Parliament to declare both the institutes as Institutes of National Importance the government has proposed a Bill. The proposed Bill would enable both the institutes to award its own degrees and diplomas and start new activities on the lines of IITs and IIMs. Cabinet Note has been moved.

     

    Meeting with stakeholders related to Set-Top-Boxes to promote indigenization of digitization: Efforts were taken to fulfill the long pending demand of domestic manufacturers of Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) to get tax concession (C Form benefit) in order to compete with imported STBs. A letter was written by Hon’ble MIB to Hon’ble Finance Minister to resolve the issue of C-Form concession to domestic manufacturers. This was followed by a meeting by Hon’ble MIB with senior officials from Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecom, Bureau of Indian Standards etc., and other industry stakeholders like indigenous STB manufacturers, DTH Association and MSO Associations etc. As a result of continuous follow up, Department of Telecom has confirmed Set Top Box as “Telecom Network Equipment”. The proposal has also been approved by the Ministry of Finance and a letter has already been issued to all the State Governments, Commissioners of Taxes and other concerned that STB will get the facility of ‘Form C’.

     

    e-initiatives: The Office of Registrar of Newspapers for India, M/o I&B has streamlined its Single Window Public dealing mechanism at its office. The RNI has achieved 100% success in online e-filing of Annual statements by publishers for 2013-14. The software module has been finalized for online filing of title verification application. It has also started sending automatic SMS intimation about status of title and registration application to publishers.

     

    Boost to Community Radio movement in the Country:Hon’ble MIB has been given a lot of emphasis on reaching out to the people especially in rural and marginalized areas with effective development communication. Community Radios are one of the best tools to touch the lives of millions of people as it is the platform, which provides an opportunity to community to not only receive messages from Government but also provide its feedback, which ensures two-way communication. An announcement has been made by Hon’ble Finance Minister in his budget speech allocating an amount of Rs 100 crores for “Supporting Community Radio Movement in India.” This would enable setting up of 600 community radio stations across the country in the 12th Five Year Plan. The resources would also be utilized for enhancing awareness, building capacities of community radio operators and promoting innovations in the sector. Funds would also be provided to various CR operators as a matching grant for setting up /upgrading community radio stations. At present 170 community radios are operating in various parts of India and about 200 are in the pipeline. This major initiative of the new government will strengthen the connect with the population living in rural and marginalized areas.

     

    A monitoring mechanism is also being set up to monitor community radio stations live at Electronic Media Monitoring Centre.

     

     

    Simplification of Procedures for granting Television licenses for starting additional television channels: Ministry of I&B grants permission to private television channels in India. At present about 800 TV channels have already been permitted by the Ministry of I&B. India has a huge broadcasting industry, thanks to the large number of television channels providing news and entertainment in various languages both at the national and regional level. Many companies desirous of starting new television channels have been approaching the Ministry to simplify procedures for launch of additional television channels. The issue of grant of additional television channels had become complicated as previously it was decided that for starting every additional TV channel security clearance would be required even for the same company and same set of Directors, who had been security cleared earlier, within the period of validity of such security clearance.

     

    Proposal cleared for Rs 600 crore National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) to preserve India’s film legacy: The revised EFC proposal for a Rs 600 crore National Film Heritage Mission project to preserve India’s filmic legacy was cleared by the Expenditure Finance Committee in the Ministry of Finance on 3 July, 2014. The modalities are being worked out to launch it at the earliest.

     

    Peoples’ participation in Government Advertising through Crowd-Sourcing of Advertisements: The advertisement for the important events being designed on the crowd-sourcing model. Independence Day advertisement designed on these lines and DAVP has invited suggestions for the proposed advertisement to be brought out on 5 September to observe “Teachers Day”.

     

    Adopting 360 degree approach to information dissemination: Designing integrated campaigns based on the 360 degree approach, the core theme touching all tools including the contemporary as well as new media. For Independence Day, the advertisements were crowd-sourced for the first time and coverage was extended to all media platforms.

     

    Transparency Steps have also been taken by the Ministry to enhance transparency and expedite approvals for which Open House Meetings have been started for Community Radio applicants on the first of every month. For Multi System Operators (MSOs), Open House meetings are held every week on Tuesday. For television applicants, Open House meetings are held every fortnight i.e., on 5th and 20th of every month. This provides an opportunity to applicants to have a direct interaction with the Ministry officials and clarify their doubts as well as to get the status of their pending applications. This has enhanced transparency and accountability in the grant of various permissions to applicants of Community Radios, television channels, MSO permissions etc.

     

    Screening of rare archival footage: A half an hour film, “Road To Freedom,” was produced by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, based solely on rare archival footage. It was screened on DD (National) on 15 August, 2014. More such films will be produced and screened on days like 2nd October, 26th January and such like.

     

    Organisation of One Day Workshop on ‘Crisis Communication’:  In pursuance of the decision taken in Committee of Secretaries (CoS) meeting held on 1 July 2014 to consider measures to upgrade the efficacy of control and response system of Government in crisis situation, Ministry of Information organized a one day training session for senior officers of various Ministries/ Departments on ‘Communicating with Media’ through Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on 22 September, 2014 at National Media Centre.

     

    (These are purely personal views of I&B Ministry secretary Bimal Julka and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)