I&B Ministry Frames Strict Guidelines on Digital Ads Run by Govt

All online ads from the central government will be routed via the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), which will empanel eligible websites. Advertisement rates will also be fixed by DAVP. Only empanelled websites will be considered for government advertisements according to the guidelines released by I&B Ministry .

Also ,the unique monthly visitors of websites will be considered by government and checked whether they are locally operated releasing official advertisement to them .

Websites which are owned and operated by companies incorporated in India will be considered for empanelment. Also the websites operated by a foreign company’s locally registered branch will also be eligible, according to the ministry statement.

Unique user data of each empanelled website will be reviewed by the ministry in the first week of April every year.

Pawan Chopra, a former secretary at the ministry of information and broadcasting said “The government as an advertiser has a right to evaluate the medium through which the advertisements are given. These ads have to be directed within India to Indian citizens, so the ministry has given an apt criteria,”.

The ministry has divided websites into three categories A, B and C on the basis of unique users per month, to define the reach of the website and accordingly decide the advertisement rates

The websites can only run government ads via a third-party server engaged by DAVP, which will provide all relevant reports linked with online billing and will be used for verification of bills for payment.DAVP shall be the nodal agency for all central government ministries and departments for advertising through DAVP-empanelled Internet websites.

However, public sector units can directly release advertisements,but only at DAVP rates, and to the agencies empanelled with DAVP.