ANNUAL REPORT - 2007-2008

The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) is the nodal multi-media advertising agency of the Central Government. It caters to the communication needs of all Central Ministries/Departments and Autonomous Bodies and provides them a single window cost effective service. It informs and educates the people, both rural and urban, about the Government's policies and programmes and motivates them to participate in development activities.

DAVP reaches the people through different means of communication such as press advertisements, print material, audio-visual programmes, outdoor publicity and exhibitions. The thrust areas of DAVP's advertising and publicity are national integration and communal harmony, rural development programmes, health and family welfare, AIDS awareness, empowerment of women, upliftment of girl child, small savings, consumer affairs, literacy, employment, income tax, defense, environment, road safety,energy conservation, handicrafts etc.

The set-up of DAVP at the headquarters consists of several wings like Campaign, Advertising, Outdoor Publicity, Printed Publicity, Exhibition, Electronic Data Processing Centre, Mass Mailing, Audio-Visual Cell, a Design Studio and Administration and Accounts Wings.

It has two Regional Offices at Bangalore and Guwahati to coordinate the Directorate's activities in these regions. There are two Regional Distribution Centres at Kolkata and Chennai to look after the distribution of publicity material in eastern and southern regions respectively. DAVP has a network of 32 Field Exhibition Units spread all over the country. The Field Exhibition Units of DAVP act as a vital communication link between the Government and the people. The field functionaries hold exhibitions on social and developmental themes to far-flung areas of the country to disseminate information about the policies and programmes of the Central Government.

Important Activities

During the year, following are the important activities:-

• (i) New Advertisement Policy for print media effective from 2nd October,2007.
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• (ii) Designing and running a unique mobile train exhibition called 'Azadi Express', displaying 150 years of India's history – from first war of Independence in 1857 to present.
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• (iii) Multi-media publicity campaign on Bharat Nirman.
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• (iv) A special table calendar to pay tribute to the freedom fighters on the occasion of 150 years of India's first war of Independence.
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DAVP continued to digitalize its operations. While increasingly making payments through Electronic Clearance System(ECS) for press advertisements, DAVP also initiated a major step viz. – release orders for display advertisements are now issued electronically on the website to facilitate remotely located newspapers/publications. Release orders for audio and video advertisements have also started being released electronically.

A multi media campaign on various topics like Health, Rural development, AIDS, Income Tax, Service Tax, against Child Labour was launched by DAVP.Multi media publicity Campaign was planned and executed by DAVP in association with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on National Rural Health Mission & AIDS and Publicity Campaign on various themes viz. Awareness of Eye Diseases in the North Eastern States, World AIDS Day, Pulse Polio, Anti Tobacco, National T B Day, etc. was also undertaken.

Income Tax campaign on e-governance is being launched with active participation of DAVP. Some press advertisements were released on Tax Return Preparer Services(TRPS) at your doorstep, File your Returns by e-filing, Advance Tax, Income Tax Ombudsman, Pay their Service Tax in time.

A number of advertisements were released on the major schemes of the Ministry of Rural Development.Display advertisements on National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna(PMGSY), Indira Awas Yojana and Total Sanitation Campaign were issued on all India basis.

Press advertisements on Mahatma Gandhi, Independence Day, Republic Day and Martyrdom Day were released all over India in 2007. Campaign on Bharat Nirman was undertaken through press advertisements, audio-visual and outdoor publicity. Besides DAVP Calendar 2008 and Executive Dairies, 21 calendars and 19 diaries have been designed and printed by the Directorate, besides production of booklets on various issues.

DAVP provided publicity support during the 38th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held in Goa. IFFI Regulation booklet, Regulation Folder were brought out by DAVP for the festival in record time.

The para-military forces namely, CRPF, BSF, SSB and CISF etc. brought out press advertisements highlighting their activities on respective raising days.

ADVERTISING

A total number of 12,992 advertisements were released to various newspapers throughout the country during the financial year 2007-08 (upto December, 2007). Of these, 1213 were display advertisements and the rest were classified advertisements. Some of these include advertisements on: 'Pulse Polio Day', 'Road Transport Week', 'World Health Day', 'Consumer Awareness Campaign', 'Income Tax', 'World AIDS Day', 'Eye Donation', 'Blood Donation', 'Children's Day', World's Environment Day, 'World Environment Day', 'Independence Day', 'Republic Day', 'Iodine Deficiency Day', 'World Food Day', World Breast Feeding Week, 'Human Rights Day', 'National Drugs Abuse Day', World Standard Day, Teachers Day, Sancharika Day, Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday, 'Birth Anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar', International Day for Old Persons, Sachchar Committee Report for Minorities, etc.

A New Advertisement Policy has been formulated, which came into effect from 2nd October, 2007. The highlights of the policy are as under:

• • Issue of 50% of DAVP advertisements (in rupee terms) to small and medium papers with not less than 15% to small and not less than 35% to medium newspapers as compared to the previous limit of 10% and 30% respectively.
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• • Issue of 35% of DAVP advertisements (in rupee terms) to the regional and other language newspapers as compared to the previous limit of 30%.
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• • The Central Government public sector undertakings/autonomous bodies/societies have been given the freedom to directly give classified and display advertisements to empanelled newspapers at DAVP rates subject to adherence to prescribed percentage ceiling as aid down in the DAVP Advertisement Policy.
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• • All Ministries/Departments/Attached and Subordinate Offices/Field Offices of the Government of India, may issue tender notices directly to the empanelled newspapers at DAVP rates.
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• • So far as empanelment in DAVP is concerned there are some relaxation given in following categories :
• (a) Languages which were given concession for lower circulation of 500 nos. earlier it was applicable for Sanskrit language only. However, the new policy this facility has been extended to newspapers in regional and other languages like Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Khasi, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Urdu and Tribal languages as certified by State Governments.
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• (b) The requirement of minimum publication of time limit for empanelment of newspapers in languages like Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Khasi, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Urdu and Tribal languages as certified by State Governments has been reduced to 6 months from 12 months.
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• (c) The requirement of minimum publication time limit for empanelment of all regional and other language small and medium newspapers has also been reduced to 18 months from 36 months.
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• (d) No circulation check for empanelment by DAVP of newspapers with circulation upto 25,000 as against earlier limit of 6,000.
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The new Advertising Policy is also available at DAVP website :www.davp.nic.in