The Photo Division is a media unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India, established on October 6, 1959, for visual documentation and publicity for government activities. Its primary functions include documenting India's political, economic, and social changes, providing photographic support to various government departments, and modernizing its facilities for digital photography. The division also maintains a digital photo library and a new website for public access to its extensive archive of photographs.

1. INTRODUCTION
Photo Division, an independent media unit meant for visual support for the varied activities of the Government of India, is a
subordinate office of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the biggest production unit of its kind in the country
in the field of photography.
Photo Division was established on 6 th October 1959 as an integrated Photo Unit which was renamed as Photo Division in the
early sixties. Government of India took a decision to establish this organization in the end of fifties, integrating the photo
studio of the Publication Division and the Photo Unit of the Press Information Bureau & D.A.V.P. in view of the importance
of the medium for right projection of the development of the country and also keeping in view of eliminating the duplication
of the activities.
The Division is responsible for visual documentation and the preparing photographs both in Black & White and Colour
initially for both of internal and external publicity on behalf of the Government of India.
FUNCTION/PROGRAMME
The major function of the Photo Division is to document photographically, the growth, Development and the political,
economical and social changes in the country and to provide visuals (still) to the media units of the Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting and other Central and State Government Agencies, Ministries/Departments including President Secretariat,
Vice-President Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Secretariats and Indian Missions abroad
through XP Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.
External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and the P.I.Bget the major chunks of the services provided by
the Photo Division. While PIB uses the picture taken by the Division for the day-to day feeding to the Press through Internet,
DAVP depends on the complete visual support from the archives of the Division, which is developed during the last four
decades for the preparation/production of various kind of Exhibition/advertising materials to be circulated amongst the large
population of the country. On the other hand External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs takes a major
chunks of its production for the external publicity of the Government of India. This includes extensive documentation of the
visit of all the Heads of States/Government of Foreign countries and presentation of the albums of the documentation of those
visits on the departure of VVIP’s.
The Division also supplies photographs on payment both in Black & White and Colour to the non-publicity organizations and
general public through its Pricing Scheme.
PHOTO DIVISION’S ORGANISATIONAL SET UP
Photo Division is housed in Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, new Delhi – 110003. Besides, Main Office, the
Division has also a Photo Unit/Cell functioning at Curzon Road, New Delhi, for providing direct photographic

2. assistance/support to DAVP for their exhibition purpose and also to produce the murals for the use by the Ministry of
External Affairs and the Dept. of Post & Telegraph, Ministry of Communication.
The Division is headed by a Director, with one Deputy Director, Senior Photographic Officer, seven Photographic Officers,
Administrative Officer, Accounts Officer and technicaland non-ministerial staff. For use of Rajbhasa as Official Language,
the Division has a Hindi Section with a Hindi Translator (Junior) and Hindi Typist (LDC) working directly under the Director
for implementation of Hindi. The present total sanctioned staff of the Division is 110 including its regional Offices and its
Unit.
Technical Officers including the Director, Deputy Director, Senior Photographic Officer and the Photographic Officers of this
Division have to accompany the VVIPs (Prime Minister, Vice-President etc.) for providing photo coverage of their visit
within the country and also the visit to abroad. Division takes up the documentation work particularly the Developmental
activities, social and economic changes time to time for enriching its collection for the posterity.
One Officer of the Division accompany the visiting Heads of States and a special Album containing the entire documentation
of the visit of the Dignitaries are presented just before their departure from the country, even it is outside the Headquarter.
LABORATORIES/STUDIO
During the present Plan Year the Division has taken up the modernisation jobs. It has substantially updated its laboratories
and equipment for handling different kind of photographic production and assignments in Black & White and Colour both in
conventional system as well as the state of art Digital technology at its Headquarters in Delhi. News Photo Network for
transmission of images has been installed in the head quarter of the Photo Division, at Soochna Bhawan, New Delhi and the
network could be linked from all of its regional offices for photo publicity of the Government activities.
A studio for taking portraits of the Hon’ble Ministers and other important personalities is also located in the Soochna Bhawan
Office. In addition to the portrait it is being used for the coverage of the Classical Dances of the important Danseuse and also
for taking the picture for the advertising and other publicity material required time to time. Studio (Laboratories) at Curzon
Road (Kasturba Gandhi Marg) is mainly meant for the mural work for the exhibition purpose. Life size portraits and Blow-
ups are made in this laboratory for the Ministry of External Affairs for the publicity of the visiting Heads of States and also
for the preparation of the publicity material of the Post & Telegraph.
Photographs taken by the digital system can be transmitted from any part of the Globe. This is at present being used for the
major important activities of the Government particularly for the publicity of the Vice-President, and the Prime Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister’s visit abroad.
Division established a Digital Photo Library at its Headquarter for digital storing of the conventional images acquired by the
Division time to time. Processing of the transfer of the images from the conventional picture to the Digital Photo Library is
also in progress. Images acquired by the Digital System of Photography can directly be taken from its network.
A Digital Printing System with LED II printer is also available with the Division in which bulk work for printing in large size
prints are taken up by the Division. Photo Division is also feeding photographs on INTERNET FOR PIB on day-to-day basis.

3. XTH PLAN PROGRAMME
PILOT PROJECT AND DIGITALISATION OF THE LABORATORY
In the Second year of the present Plan Period, keeping in view of the change in the technology, the Division redesigned its
Plan Project emphasising the digitalization of its laboratories and the images available in its archives. In order to do so, during
the third year of the Plan period it took up the Archiving, Cataloguing and Digitalisation of the images available with the
Photo Division along with converting its laboratories into a digital Lab in phased manner and upgrade the News Photo
Network. In addition, Division with programme for its Modernisation, has already acquired the necessary digital camera and
the lap tops with V Data Card for the quick transmission of the images directly from the place of coverage.
Till the end of 2005-2006, Division has been able to convert 212545 images to be placed in the Cumulus System as a part of
its Cataloguing and Digitalisation of images.
NEWS PHOTO NETWORK
The images which has already been digitized has been put into specific software through which picture can be retrieved. Such
digital library is located at Soochna Bhavan. Simultaneously with the launch of the new website, “photodivision.gov.in” the
digitized images would be available through the net. News Photo Net work will also be used for receiving the pictures from
different corner to be uploaded not only the newly designed Website but also PIB net which will be meant for use to the news
person.
WEBSITE
The newly launched Website has got number of component. Firstly the archive images are being put into the net so as to give
an opportunity to the people from any corner of the globe to have an access for their research and cross-referencing purpose.
The title page has got five icons namely President House, Parliament House, Prime Minister, External Affairs and an Icon for
artistic and special feature. Clicking the Icon, one can reach the respective place for the Prime Minister’s pictures, pictures
relates to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, External Affairs etc. Artistic and special feature icon will showcase time
to time new artistic photograph as well as the important feature taken up by the Photo Division. Such pictures also can be
obtained with artistic framing. Entering the Website, the home page will have “the today’s picture gallery” which can be
accessed and downloaded. Simultaneously the search of Photo Archives will help the user to reach to the entire collection of
the Division.