The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Ministry of I&B) (Urdu: وزارت اطلاعات و نشریات﴿ is a branch of the Government of India which is apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to information, broadcasting, the press and films in India.
The Ministry is responsible for the administration of Prasar Bharati-the broadcasting arm of the Indian Government. The Central Board of Film Certification is the other important functionary under this ministry being responsible for the regulation of motion pictures broadcast in India.
Broadcasting
Conditional Access System (CAS)
Community Radio Stations
Prasar Bharati
Doordarshan
Akashvani (All India Radio)
Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited
Uplinking/Downlinking of TV Channels
Content Regulation on Private TV Channels
Direct to Home (DTH)
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV)
Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS)
Digital television transition
Radio And Television Licence Around The World
Broadcasting Authority of India 1977
Information
Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP)
Directorate of Field Publicity
Photo Division
Publications Division
Research Reference & Training Division
Song & Drama Division
Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)
Press Council of India
Press Information Bureau (PIB)
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC)
Films
Directorate of Film Festivals (DFAI)
Films Division (FD)
Central Board of Film Certification
Children's Film Society, India
Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (FTII)
Film Certification Appellate Tribunal
National Film Archive of India (NFAI)
Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI)
National Film Development Corporation
Mandate
The mandate of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting are:
News Services through All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) for the people
Development of broadcasting and television.
Import and export of films.
Development and promotion of film industry.
Organisation of film festivals and cultural exchanges for the purpose.
Directorate of Advertising and visual publicity DAVP
Handling of press relations to present the policies of Government of India and to get feed-back on the Government policies.
Administration of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 in respect of newspapers.
Dissemination of information about India within and outside the country through publications on matters of national importance.
Research, Reference and Training to assist the media units of the Ministry to meet their responsibilities.
Use of interpersonal communication and traditional folk art forms for information/ publicity campaigns on public interest issues.
International co-operation in the field of information & mass media.
Criticism and controversies
The Ministry has often been criticised for the actions of the various bodies under it:
Arbitrary actions taken in the past to ban television channels which ostensibly showed explicit scenes, as well as actions taken to ban general use websites like Yahoo Groups, have been criticised.
All India Radio is the only radio broadcaster allowed to broadcast news within India, though this is likely to change with the recommendations of the TRAI.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked the media not to air a controversial documentary by BBC about rape in India.
The ministry has been criticised in its role of the way it has handled the FTII strike.
Indira Gandhi (1964–1966)
I. K. Gujral (1972–1977)
L. K. Advani (1977–1979)
Vasant Sathe (1980–1984)
H. K. L. Bhagat (1984–1988)
P. A. Sangma (1995–1996)
Jaipal Reddy (1996–1998)
Arun Jaitley (2000)
Sushma Swaraj (2000–2003)
Ravi Shankar Prasad (2003–2004)
Dayanidhi Maran (2004–2007)
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi (2007–2009)
Ambika Soni (2009–2012)
Manish Tewari (2012–2014)
Prakash Javadekar (2014)
Arun Jaitley (2014–2016)
Venkaiah Naidu (2016–Incumbent)
N. K. P. Salve
Ambareesh (2006–2008)
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (2014–Incumbent)
