In the drum-up to the general elections due in 2014, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is going all out to showcase the Government’s flagship schemes. The ministry has extended its Bharat Nirman ad campaign to special programmes on Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR). As part of this strategic communication plan, the social message in the programmes is in line with its campaign. Also the ministry is actively using social media to reach out to the youth.

AIR has already started airing several special programmes in line with the Bharat Nirman campaign. One of its weekly programmes Jamnuia is a 26-episode series based on a female protagonist and her fight against oppression. Using Priya , the central character of Bharat Nirman campaign, AIR is running a 12-episode series that is aired weekly and talks about several schemes of the Government.

Since August 8, public broadcaster DD too started airing a 52-episode Hindi serial Poorva Suhani Aayi Re which tells the story of Poorva, an illiterate girl who is a champion for the cause of citizen’s rights and makes her village aware of the various welfare schemes and policies. The show is aired twice a week at 10 p.m. on DD National.

Even the campaign slots have been planned strategically. For instance, even as the Lok Sabha was debating the Food Security Bill, the Government’s advertisement on the Bill was being aired on television channels.

Meenakshi.v@thehindu.co.in

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