Department of Information and Public Relations (Kerala)

The Information & Public Relations Department (I & PRD) is an agency within the Government of Kerala. It is charged with "disseminating information on various activities of the Government to the people through the media and providing feedback to the Government on important matters reflected in the media. I & PRD is also charged with activities connected with cultural affairs."

The Director of Information and Public Relations Department is assisted by two Additional Directors, five Deputy Directors at the Headquarters, six Regional Deputy Directors at Kollam, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thrissur and Kannur and one at New Delhi. There are 14 District Information Offices and Kerala Information Centre at New Delhi. District Information Office is headed by the District Information Officer in association with respective District administration and Local Self Government Organisations.

Major activities of the department include:

Publicising the policies and programmes of the government
Giving wide publicity of the developmental and welfare programmes undertaken by the government through print-visual-audio media

Publishing of books on subjects related to culture, education and traditional artforms.Publishing of brochures on social and developmental subjects. Screening of feature films, documentaries and short films either produced or purchased by the department in conformity with the social and cultural interests of the state

            Organising press conferences for ministers and officials;

            Issuing of various departmental advertisements to media and payment of advertisement charges; Fixing of the advertisement rate of media through negotiation etc.
   The department is also entrusted with monitoring of the provisions of Cable TV Act and Press and Registration of Books Act.

Additional Director (General&Administration)

Additional Director (General& Administration)is in charge of general administration matters of the department, planning and development related matters, prompt and time bound usage of budget plan funds, coordinating deputy directors and co-coordinating meetings related to annual- Five Year plans, budget proposals.

He/she is the convener of plan progress, review committee in charge of Advertisement (Print), press academy related issues and also in charge of activities of Information Officer, Planning and Development. ADPR is in charge of Kerala pavilion at IITF.

Additional Director (General Administration) oversees the functions of Web and Media Relations (except Web and New Media Division and Coordinating News Editorial), Advertisement and Marketing, Field Publicity and Cultural Affairs, Publications and Advertisement (Print only).

Deputy Directors under Additional Director (General Administration) are:

1. Deputy Director (Web and Media Relations)

2. Deputy Director (Advertising and Marketing) Files related to advertisement print only

3. Deputy Director (Field publicity and cultural affairs)

4. Deputy Director (Publications)

Planning and Development:

Planning and Development comes directly under Additional Director (General Administration) and the section deals with the data compilation for state budget and Governor's address to the assembly. Others mainly include data compilation works for implementation of Five-Year plan programmes, submission of Annual plan proposals to planning board, preparation of draft project report for implementing new schemes and programmes in the department.

Agenda preparation works for MPs meeting in Parliament and contributions to Result Framework Document (RFD) project, a central government initiative.

Co-ordinating seminars and workshops on planning and development, preparation of proposals for the development works of district information offices and submission of compiled data on I&PRD annual administrative report are under the sections purview.

Additional Director (Electronic Media Division)

Additional Director (Electronic Media Division) is in charge of audio- video communications,Advertising and Marketing,Web and New Media division, Coordinating News Editorial Section Sutharyakeralam I&PRD cell, television radio programmes, in- house out -house video programmes, cost committee for documentary programmes, files on electronic media advertisements, liaison works with C-DIT, video news clipping, scrutiny and Web and New media division.

Deputy Directors under Additional Director (Electronic Media) are:

1. Deputy Director (Visual Communications)

2. Deputy Director (Advertisement and Marketing related to Electronic Media)

3. Deputy Director (Web and Media relations related to coordinating New Editorial Section, Web and New Media)

Deputy Directors

1. Deputy Director (Web and Media Relations)

Deputy Director (Web and Media Relations) is in charge of Journalist-Non journalist pension scheme, media co-ordination, Integrated Development News Grid, VVIP visit, media co-ordination in Rajbhavan/ Legislative Assembly special programmes, co-ordination of nodal officers for department pages in government web portal, liaison work with C-DIT, Keltron and NIC and also with the offices of ministers and Chief Minister. He is also acting as webmaster for official web portal and he/she evaluates the proper utilisation of each plan fund from the concerned head of accounts in accordance with Planning Board.

Deputy Director is directly in charge of Press release, Scrutiny, Web and New Media, Photography, CNE, Press Accreditation, Press Room, PR Chamber maintenance, Press release related to the coverage of government programmes; maintaining of official websites of government , co-ordination of press release activities in districts etc.

2. Deputy Director (Field Publicity and Cultural Affairs)

Field publicity and co-ordination works for New Delhi Trade Fair (IITF), New Delhi Republic Day parade, Anniversary celebrations works of the State Cabinet etc. Also oversees fair utilisation of allotted funds from appropriate head of accounts.

He is directly in charge of Cultural wing and Field Publicity and Exhibition also entrusted with responsibilities of State Public Information absence. Co-ordination works of cultural affairs activities, exhibitions and awareness seminars etc. are considered.

3. Deputy Director (Publications)

Deputy Director (Publications) is in charge of editorial sections English and Malayalam ,state level circulation of publications ,Payment fixation of bills from presses , liaison works with the publication division and offices of CM& other ministers, re-publication works of special edition of books , proper utilisation of fund allocation as per planning board is also in list.

Other charges include co-ordination works of information officers of Research and References, English and Malayalam editorials, website management of publications,

Co-ordination works for the publications like Kerala Calling, Janapatham, Special editions etc.

4. Deputy Director (Visual Communications)

Nodal officer for SutharyaKeralam phone-in-programme and SutharyaKeralam I&PRD cell and manages production of video documentary-short film, oversees proper utilisation of purchased time slots, visual communication works, liaison works of outhouse producers, validate the appropriate utilisation of allotted fund from respective Head of account, in house-out house documentary works, audio-video archives works etc.

He/she is also in charge of information officer (Programme producer and audio-video documentation).

5. Deputy Director (Advertisement and Marketing)

Fixation of advertisement rates for news papers and channels, bill payment for advertisements, liaison works with offices of CM and ministers, selection process for media for advertisements are the main responsibilities of DD. He/she also ensures on the proper allocation, expenditure and utilization of each plan fund from appropriate head of accounts in accordance with Planning Board. Evaluation of proper utilization of allotted funds is also included.

Deputy Director is in charge of Advertisement (Print), Advertising and marketing.Other duties include selection process of advertisements for web media, preparation of releasing order and bills of government advertisements, preparation and revision of media list, evaluation of advertisements issued by other departments, preparation of releasing order and fund allotment of display advertisements, tenders, look out notice, window advertisements and co-ordination works of FCT marketing audio-video production, marketing and purchase of advertisement time slots etc.

6. Regional Deputy Directors

            Kollam DD - Kollam , Thiruvananthapuram,

            Kottayam DD - Pathanamthitta , Kottayam , and Idukki

           Ernakulam - Ernakulam and Alappuzha

           Thrissur - Thrissur , Palakkad

            Kozhikode - Kozhikode , Malappuram

            Kannur - Wayanad , Kannur , Kasaragod

He/She is also in charge of regular evaluation/scrutiny and report submission of print media, matters related to journalist pension, non-journalist pension, pension applications, pension distribution, bill and file works for co-ordination of photo and video publicity, direct involvement with district information offices, co-ordination for VVIP visits, district level co-ordination works for anniversary celebration of cabinet, organising press tour for media persons in districts, co-ordination works of integrated development news grid, video wall network, opinion poll conducted by scrutiny section etc. Also oversees the responsibilities of district information officers in the absence of latter's. Monthly evaluation works of District Information Offices and Co-ordination works ofSutharyaKeralam District Cell are done on due course.

7. Deputy Director (Kerala House, New Delhi)

Deputy Director is in charge of matters related to pension of journalists other press employees, Malayalam Language Study Centre, New Delhi Art and Cultural Centre functions, Co-ordination cultural programmes of NRKs, Co-ordination of media assistance and for CM, other ministers, union cabinet minister, MPs from the state, liaison works with office of Prime Minister, Union Cabinet ministers, and matters related to video and photo publicity bills. Proper utilization of allotted fund from respective head of account in verified by DD. Overall supervision of New Delhi Kerala House Information Office, IITF, Republic Day parade, Kerala Piravi celebrations, Onam celebration, Anniversary celebration of State Ministry.

Information Officers

Web and Media Relations

1. Press Release:

The section is engaged in immediate dissemination of news related to the daily activities of the State Government. It handles news coverage, routine press releases, special press releases, news follow ups, visits of important persons, press accreditation, special passes for print-visual media representatives, journalist tours etc.

Also in charge of press rooms, press facilities, financial assistance to journalists, official press meets and briefings, official invitations and documents to media persons, and maintenance of Public Relations Chamber.

Selection and distribution of State Media Awards and Swadeshabhimani- KesariPuraskaram are authorized by the section. The awards are constituted by the State government for the best photography, general reporting and development reporting.

2. Scrutiny:

The Scrutiny wing is entrusted with the feedback activities. Daily press summary sent to all Ministers Office. Digitization of newspapers is another function of the section. Compiles fortnightly report on people's reaction collected from the districts and forwarded to the Government.

The section is engaged in scrutinizing news items appearing in various Medias. It scrutinizes news items related to the Government appearing in news papers and periodicals and visual media and gives feed backs to the Chief Minister, other Ministers and the Chief Secretary. The relevant news items and feed backs are submitted online to the respected officials. The section has the responsibility of codifying responses from the public on policy matters and to report it to the concerned Ministers. It is also the responsibility to collect reports at the time of visits of Very Important Persons and also to avail documents for various commissions appointed by the Government. It files copies of the daily news papers and other documents for future references.

3. Web and New Media:

Maintaining the official web portal of Government of Kerala, district web sites and department site, develop contents for various department sites, develop a management system to disseminate information through electronic media, develop web as a transparent media to enforce the Right to Information Act effectively, coordination of the nodal officers and auditing the contents of government sites are the main functions of this section.

The division manages the official web portal of Government of Kerala; kerala.gov.in. In addition to that department's own website prd.kerala.gov.in, ministers websites, RTI websites etc. are managed by the division.

External links

• Kerala Information & Public Relations Department