Industrial
Promotion Policies - Central Government
Advertising
Policy of India
The Directorate of Advertising &
Visual Publicity(DAVP) is the nodal agency of the Government
of India for advertising by various Ministries and organisations
of Government of India including public sector undertakings
and autonomous bodies. The primary objective of
the Government in advertising is to secure the widest
possible coverage of the intended content or message
through various newspapers and journals of current affairs
which are published daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
In releasing advertisements to newspapers/journals the
DAVP does not take into account the political affiliation
or editorial policies of newspapers/journals.
However, DAVP would avoid releasing advertisements to
newspapers/journals, which incite or tend to incite
communal passion, preach violence, offend the sovereignty
and integrity of India or socially accepted norms of
public decency and behaviour.
Government advertisements are not
intended to be financial assistance to newspapers/journals.
DAVP maintains a list of newspapers/journals approved
for release of advertisements by empaneling acceptable
newspapers/journals. DAVP will empanel only such
newspapers/journals as are required for issuing advertisements
of the Government of India. Care is taken to empanel
newspapers/journals having readership from different
sections of the society in different parts of the country.
There is a Panel Advisory Committee(PAC)
for considering applications of newspapers/journals
for being empanelled for receiving Government advertisements.
This Committee is headed by Director General, DAVP/Director,
DAVP and it includes Addl. Principal Information Officer
in the PIB, Press Registrar, RNI and Deputy Secretary/Under
Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
dealing with Print Media. The Committee will also
have one representative each from the Association of
big, medium and small newspapers. The recommendations
of the Panel Advisory Committee as accepted by the DG/Director,
DAVP regarding empanelment of a newspaper is usually
final.
The PAC also has the power to consider
de-empanelment of a newspaper/journal where warranted.
In pursuance of broad social objectives
of the Government and for ensuring fairness among various
categories of newspapers/journals, the PAC considers
empanelment of newspapers/journals belonging to the
following categories on priority :
Small and medium newspapers/journals
Language newspapers
Newspapers/journals published
in backward, remote and border areas.
Newspapers/journals are classified
into three categories, namely
Small, with a circulation of
up to 25,000 copies per publishing day.
Medium, between 25,001 and 75,000
copies per publishing day, and
Big, with a circulation of above
75,000 copies per publishing day.
All newspapers/journals seeking empanelment
for the first time should have been uninterruptedly
and regularly under publication for a period of not
less than 12 months and should comply with the provisions
of the Press & Registration of Books Act, 1867.
Fresh applications for empanelment may be made any time
during the year. However, each case will be considered
once in a year only.
For renewal of rate contract, the
newspapers are to submit applications in prescribed
format by 31st May of the year to DAVP.
The details of the paper like size,
language, periodicity, print area and details of printing
press etc. as asked for in empanelment form may be given.
Further it must be substantiated that the paper
is being published at a reasonable standard. Reasonable
standard, inter alia, means that
a) The print matter
and photographs should be legible, neat, clear
and without smudges, overwriting, and tampering.
b) There should be no repetition
of news items or articles from other issues.
c) There should be no reproduction
of news items or articles from other newspaper / journals
without credit line.
d) Masthead on its front page should
carry the title of the newspaper, place, date and
day of publication; it should also carry RNI Registration
Number, volume & issue number and price of newspaper/journal;
e) The newspaper should carry
imprint line as required under PRB Act; and
f) Inner pages must carry
page number, title of the paper and date of publication.
A daily newspaper should furnish
issues for preceding four months and weeklies &
fortnightlies must furnish issues of preceding six months
and monthlies should furnish latest 12 months issues.
The applicant should have published
the newspaper on at least 25 days in each month during
preceding 12 months. Weeklies should have published
46 issues during the preceding year, fortnightlies 24
issues and monthlies 10 issues during the preceding
year to be considered being brought out regularly.
The applicant should also furnish
a copy of the Certificate of Registration issued by
the RNI in the name of the publisher.
Newspapers/journals having established
circulation of more than 75,000 copies per publishing
day, as certified by Audit Bureau of Circulation(ABC)
can seek empanelment of their fresh edition from a new
place without having any regular publication for preceding
12 months, but in such cases empanelment of fresh edition
will be only in the lowest slab of circulation.
New Editions of small and medium newspapers will also
be empanelled similarly.
A newspaper/journal should have a
minimum paid circulation of not less than 2000 copies
for being considered eligible for empanelment.
However, newspapers/journals in Sanskrit, newspapers/journals
published in backward, border or remote areas or in
tribal languages or those published in J&K need
to have substantiated minimum paid circulation of only
500 copies per publishing day.
A newspaper/journal should have the
following minimum print area :
Periodicity
Print area not less than
Dailies
1520 Std. Col. Cms.
Weeklies, Fortnightlies
700 Std. Col. Cms.
Monthlies
960 Std. Col. Cms.
Exceptions may, however, be made by
PAC in the case of newspapers/journals belonging to
the above mentioned category in Sanskrit etc.
The empanelment already granted by
the DG/Director, DAVP earlier will remain valid for
the duration for which empanelment has been made.
The applicant newspaper/journal should
furnish authenticated figures of circulation of ABC,
RNI or Chartered Accountant. However, Chartered
Accountant Certificate will be accepted only up to 25,000
copies per publishing day for up to one year only.
DAVP will take average circulation
for the preceding one year as certified by ABC, RNI
failing which CA(whichever is less).
RNI circulation check will be valid
for three years unless paper is suspended or declared
unestablished by RNI. During this period paper
seeking renewal of empanelment in the same slab need
not furnish any fresh authentication of circulation.
Rate renewal cases showing increase in circulation warranting
higher slab of rate will need to furnish ABC/RNI circulation
check certification. DG/Director, DAVP reserves
the right to have figures of circulation checked through
its representatives or through RNI where he/she may
so decide.
In rate renewal/empanelment cases,
where a three year contract is offered, publishers should
submit to DAVP on or before 31st May each year an Affidavit
to the effect that they have submitted Annual Return
to RNI. In the affidavit the latest figures as
certified by ABC/RNI/CA will also be indicated.
A newspaper if declared unestablished
by RNI will be suspended from DAVP empanelment and recovery
will be effected. Resumption will be considered
only on receipt of the RNI certifying circulation.
A newspaper/journal once declared
unestablished by RNI will be considered established
only from the year RNI declares it established.
The circulation certified by RNI/ABC if found lower
than the claimed circulation will be taken into consideration
for recovery.
The rate structure for payment against
advertisements released by DAVP will be worked out on
the basis of laid down principles. DAVP will work
out advertisement rates as per the Government of India
rate structure formula devised by the Rate Structure
Committee. The rates will be related to circulation
of a newspaper and will apply uniformly to all newspapers.
The newspaper will enter into rate contract with DAVP
accepting the DAVP rates and other terms and conditions
as laid down from time to time to ensure publication
of DAVP advertisements as and when issued to a newspaper.
Application for renewal must be submitted
to DAVP, complete in all respects, by the due date,
which would be the last day of May of the calendar year
in which the empanelment expires failing which DAVP
may not consider the newspaper for renewal of rate for
the concerned year. DAVP will convey its decision
on renewal by 30th September of the relevant year. DAVP
will place the rate renewal application proforma on
its Web site http://www.nic.in/davp and newspapers may
download the proforma from internet to apply for renewal
of rate contract of their newspaper. Alternately,
newspapers may collect the application proforma from
DAVP headquarters or from PIB offices in the country
on their own, well in time. DAVP will make available
the application proforma for rate renewal/fresh applications
to associations of big, medium and small newspapers
as recognised by the Press Council of India. Rate
renewal contract will be awarded to newspapers for three
years if circulation for previous year is supported
by RNI or ABC. However, if any newspaper claims
increase in circulation with latest RNI or ABC certificate,
upward revision may be considered. The revision of rate
(upward/downward) will be considered yearly.
DAVP will release payment of advertisement
bills in the name of the payee and at the address given
by the newspaper in the application form for renewal
of rate contract or fresh application for empanelment,
as the case may be. No change in the payee's name
or adddress will be entertained during the year of empanelment
unless it is justified and found unavoidable or compelling.
Every newspaper will be obliged to
send one copy of the newspaper on their own carrying
DAVP advertisements, to the client at the address mentioned
in the Release Order, failing which payment for the
advertisement may not be considered.
Every newspaper will be obliged to
submit its advertisement bills, complete in all respect,
and supported with relevant documents, within 30 days
of the publication of the advertisement. DAVP
will make every effort to pay the advertisement bill
within 60 days of receipt of bill.
No newspaper will publish DAVP advertisement
without receipt of the relevant Release Order. Request
for a duplicate Release Order by publications will be
entertained on merits and on case to case basis.
The newspaper will be obliged to strictly
adhere to the date of publication of DAVP advertisements
as given in the Release Order. Publication of
advertisement on dates other than that given in the
Release Order will not be regularised with revalidation
of Release Order and no payment will be made in
such cases.
A newspaper will stand suspended with
immediate effect if found to have submitted wrong information
in his application or rate renewal proforma; or
if found to have discontinued
its publication, changed its periodicity or its title
or have become irregular or suspected to have been indulging
in unethical or anti-national activities as found by
the Press Council of India or if convicted by a court
of law for such activities.
Before suspension of a newspaper for
DAVP advertisements on grounds of unethical practices,
anti-national activities, violation of the norms of
decency as prescribed by the Press Council of India,
such newspapers will be given due hearing by the DAVP
and a final view will be taken by DAVP.
If a newspaper refuses to accept and
carry an advertisement issued by DAVP on behalf of the
Ministries/Departments of Government of India, public
sector undertakings and autonomous bodies on persistent
basis, the newspaper may be suspended for a period up
to six months by DG/Director, DAVP.
As soon as requisitions for release
of advertisements are received from various Ministries
and Departments as also from public sector undertakings
and autonomous bodies, DAVP will prepare a suitable
media list keeping in view the content, the target audience
or the advertisement and availability of funds after
consideration of the recommendations of the client.
DAVP will ensure availability of
funds before the advertisements are released, especially
in the case of paying clients. The Ministries
and Departments, which are required to pay advance deposit
for release of their advertisements, will be requested
to do so by depositing the required funds as per extant
orders of the Government in this regard.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions
mentioned above, DG/Director, DAVP, as Chairman of the
Panel Advisory Committee, will have discretion to grant
provisional empanelment to a newspaper, subject to approval
of the PAC, for a period of six months or till the next
meeting of the PAC if the newspaper has completed all
the formalities required for empanelment and otherwise
found suitable for issue of Government advertisements.
Source :
Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity
