Shri C.M.Jatua Launches Newly Designed Website of PIB and the "Online Application System" for Community Radio Stations
Shri C.M.Jatua, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, launched the Newly Designed website of Press Information Bureau at a function held here today. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said, the newly designed website would enable media persons to access information promptly. This would facilitate timely flow of information for important events taking place within the Government. The Minister also launched the "Online Application System" for Community Radio Stations, developed by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in association with Commonwealth Educational Centre for Asia (CEMCA). Speaking on the occasion, Principal Director General (M&C), Smt. Neelam Kapur, mentioned though the website remained the most widely surfed information website, it had become necessary to introduce tools for providing quick, accessible quality information to the user, especially those belonging to the media. Some of the key features that had been introduced in the new website included the new colour scheme for the web-site, faster user friendly search system, placement of Urdu releases on the Home Page and the introduction of the SMS Alert System which had been introduced to alert beat correspondents regarding posting of handouts. For availing this service, it was mandatory to register with the SMS service. Principal D.G. further stated that a number of media persons were accessing high resolution print quality photographs and the rich archival material available on the site for their professional duties. Secretary(I&B), Shri Raghu Menon, Special Secretary (I&B), Shri Uday Kumar Varma and Senior Officials of the Press Information Bureau & the Ministry were present during the function. The web-site of PIB, pib.nic.in, was first launched in 1998. The new website launched today has the following main features: · The new website is designed on a soothing three-colour pattern corresponding to the colours of the national flag. · Arrangement of elements has been standardized across pages. Different elements (such as facilitations of journalists) have been grouped together. · Urdu releases are also displayed on the Home Page in addition to English and Hindi releases/features. · Hindi content is now available in UNICODE. This font system will, in future, obviate the need for font conversion and will be editable/viewable across platform and browsers. · A segment has been added for video content. Presently video content is being generated through Live Web-cast of cabinet briefings and President's /PM's speeches at national events. · Search has been made faster and more user friendly. · Facility to mail particular text/graphic content to different email ID's has been provided. · Users can now subscribe to PIB content through RSS feeds which can be filtered on different Ministries or type of content. · An SMS alert system has been introduced so that when a handout is posted on the site, an alert goes to the beat correspondents and others journalists who subscribe to SMS service. Regarding the "Online Application System" for Community Radio Stations, the applicants have been encouraged to apply online by clicking the hyperlink on the Ministry's home page www.mib.nic.in. This is a simple software which can be accessed easily from anywhere in the country by a person who is interested to apply on line. For the benefit of the applicants a filled in model application is also available on line. Various guidelines issued on Community Radio by the Government on Community Radio were also available on the home page of the site. All the attachments could be sent along with the application form by using open source software for which the reference link is available at the site, which compresses, optimizes and converts them into easily up-loadable PDF files. The software being used had several other advantages such as: · The application can be simultaneously sent to Ministries concerned for quicker clearance. · It will facilitate quicker and easier communication with the applicant organizations through their email IDs provided with the Online System. · Ministry will get a day-to-day update on the total number of applications filed category-wise and State-wise. · In order to bring further transparency in the system, it is also proposed to develop an on-line tracking system through which applicants can trace the status of their applications through a Pass Word and ID. Till date, 233 LOIs have been issued by the Ministry of I & B to operate Community Radio Stations in the country. 110 organizations have been signed Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) with the Ministry. 82 Radio Stations have become operational. There has been a steady increase in the number of operational Community Radio Stations in the country, which has increased from 57 stations in the month of May 2010 to 82 Radio Stations in July 2010. (Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India) 20th Aug 2010 ---- Alokesh Gupta New Delhi.
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