In India, the system of public relation organizations has been borrowed from England. After the First World War, a Central Bureau of Information was set up for press publicity and propaganda. The Bureau was placed under the home department. In 1939 a Director – General of information was appointed to control and coordinate war publicity. In October 1941, the Department of information and Broadcasting was created and the various publicity agencies working under different ministries were brought under the control of this department. The All India Radio set up in 1936 was transferred to the department of information and broadcasting in 1941. In 1947, on attainment of independence, the department was reconstituted and it was designated as a ministry.
The ministry of information and broadcasting is responsible for
a. All business concerned with All India Radio embracing news, radio journals, services, researchers and television.
b. Production and distribution of documentaries and newsreels and other films.
c. Legislation under entry 60 of the union list, viz, sanctioning of cinematograph films for exhibition.
d. Production and release of all display advertisements of the government of India and release of classified advertisements on behalf of the union government.
e. Presentation and interpretation of the policies and activities of the government of India through the medium of press.
f. Advising government on problems relating to the press.
g. Administration of the press act and newspaper act.
h. Production, sale and distribution of popular pamphlets, books and journals on matters of national importance.
i. Research and reference in the field of publicity, information and broadcasting.
The various activities of the ministry and the important services rendered by it can be briefly described under the following heads.
1. Directorate of All India radio
The network of broadcasting stations in India is known as the All India Radio. It is headed by the Director-General who is assisted by several Deputy Directors-General and a chief engineer. The executive functions are carried out by the stations spread all over the country. All India Radio provides special programmes for rural listeners, schools and university students, industrial work as also to adivasi areas and to armed forces. The main divisions of All India Radio are
a. News service division
b. External service division
c. Monitoring service division
d. Transcription and Programme exchange services division
e. Engineering division
2. Press Information Bureau
It is the principal publicity organization for the government of India. It acts as a link between the government and the public through the press, informing the public about government activities and policies and keeping the government in touch with the main trends of public opinion. It collects the materials from the central government or state governments. The material so collected is circulated to the ministries and departments concerned. The bureau arranges press conferences for ministries and high officials to explain to the press the scope and purpose of important government decisions or policy statements. It handles publicity for international conferences in India and senders help to foreign correspondents by necessary facilities. The Bureau is headed by the Principal Information Officer who is assisted by Deputy Principal Information Officer, Information Officers, Deputy Information officers and Assistant Information Officers.
3. Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity
It is responsible for the production and release of all display advertisements of the government of India through the press, posters, folders, calendars, diaries. Blotters, leaflets, cinema slides etc. it undertakes the rule of advertisement space in the publications brought out by the ministry of information and broadcasting.
4. Publications Division
It is responsible for the preparation, production and sale of various kinds of publications in the country and its culture, the activities of the central government, places of tourist interest and the progress of the various development programmes in the country. Speeches and writings of national importance are also published by the division.
5. Films Division
It is located at Bombay and its functions include the production and distribution of documentaries and newsreels for the general information and education of the people. The subjects for documentaries are selected in consultation with the various ministries, it also produces films for exhibition board.
6. Central Board of Film Censors
The Board was set up in 1952 for sanctioning films as suitable for public exhibition. The board consists of a full time chairman, and eight non-official members who work part time in an honorary capacity. The work is initially carried out by examining committees consists of the Regional officer of the Board and the members of the advisory panels consisting of prominent people drawn from various walks of public life.
7. Research and Reference Division
It is responsible for furnishing reference material for publicity purposes to the ministry and its various mass communication media units. It also makes a continuous study of the trends relating to the press and the film industry. It brings from time to time special reference papers on subjects of topical interest. It prepares biographies of public relations.
8.Indian Institute of Public Relations
On August 17, 1965, the Indian Institute of Public Relations was set up for carrying higher studies in the field of public relations. It is administered by an executive council under the chairmanship of the minister for information and broadcasting. It imparts training to the publicity officers of the central and state governments.
9.Public Relations services in the states.
Most of the states have a department of Information and Public relations, which is headed by a Director of Public Relations. There are also attached information officers to the various ministries and departments. The Director is assisted by two or three deputy directors. One of the deputy directors is responsible for providing information to the press about the government activities and for keeping government apprised of the developments as mirrored in the press. The other is responsible for public relations activities at the district level.