Government's New Media Wing will manage official social media activity

The Central Government has announced that it will be establishing a New Media Wing within the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (IB) at the cost of Rs 22.5 crore. This wing will help the government publicise its initiatives on social networking websites. In other words, the government wants to tell you all about the splendid work they’re doing through Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube. The government has a separate department that looks into promoting government initiatives on the television and through print ads, and it will now be taking social networking platforms seriously too.

The government jumps in on the social networking bandwagon

The proposal for this wing came after the IB Ministry’s pilot test of the MyIndia campaign went off well. The government says that the wing has been drawn taking into account the experience of this initiative from earlier this year. The MyIndia campaign recruited citizens to propagate initiatives taken up by the government.

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In the past, the External Affairs Ministry too has had a tryst with social networking when it released the India Is series of short films on YouTube to celebrate India. The films by Anurag Kashyap showcased the various facets of the country.

With the general elections almost breathing down our necks, it looks like the IB Ministry has decided to don its most modern avatar. With political parties gearing up to take over the social space, it looks like the battle for power will be fought online too this time around and the IB Ministry is a big part of that plan.