The Centre’s official communication arm, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), will soon have a dedicated research unit that will support critical government communication and carry out research on key public policy matters for a better outreach, News18.com has learnt.
According to an office memorandum dated 31 August, which News18.com has accessed, the research unit will come into effect this month. It will feed the existing PIB setup with well-researched information, including historical facts, socio-economic issues and key policy decisions at national and sector levels, as well as analyses of feedback from citizens on different matters.
PIB, a media unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), is responsible for disseminating information on various government decisions and policies to the people.
The new unit will provide an “evidence-based fact sheet” that will serve as the background document for designing critical government communication. Research on crucial public policy matters by this unit will be aimed at augmenting the Centre’s messaging.
The unit will also create an information repository and maintain a dashboard for real-time access to issues demanding government attention.
It will enrich the existing content available with PIB by adding to it a research-based historical perspective, a government official said. “It will add value to the PIB’s role as the government’s voice for the people.”
How will it function?
The research unit will be headed by a director-level officer of PIB who will be assisted by one deputy director or assistant director.
It will also feature five young professionals from the existing pool; they will be supported by a team of 25 persons from the different media units of the I&B ministry.
The unit may could have five sub’units, each comprising one young professional and five persons who can be assigned different sectors and themes by PIB.
The I&B ministry, earlier this year, had hired over 70 young professionals to assist with research and other policy-related work of the ministry.
The new research unit could be supported by two experienced faculty members from India’s premier journalism school, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, to guide those undertaking research.
The responsibility of assigning tasks and overall supervision of the unit will remain with the principal director general of PIB.
Other media units of the I&B ministry — such as the New Media Wing as well as public broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan — will have to support the new unit by providing it with access to archival and other relevant documents.
According to the office memorandum, subscription to online portals may also be provided to the unit.
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