New Delhi: In a major restructuring of the Central Government‘s information and publicity machinery, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has ordered the functional integration of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) into a unified organisation to be known as the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The order was issued through an office memorandum on November 12, 2026, directing both organisations to function as a unified entity with immediate effect. The integration will initially be implemented at the headquarters level in New Delhi, while the process at the state and branch levels will be undertaken in a phased manner.
Under the new arrangement, the integrated organisation will be headed by the Director General (Coordination), PIB, New Delhi, who will report to the Chairman of the Communication Board.
The ministry has also issued detailed reporting instructions for senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officers and media coordinators, bringing the leadership and coordination functions of both organisations under a common administrative structure.
R K Jain Appointed DG (Coordination), PIB
Alongside the integration order, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a separate order on November 12, 2026, transferring and posting six Indian Information Service (IIS) Group ‘A’ officers.
As part of this administrative exercise, R K Jain has been appointed Director General (Coordination), Press Information Bureau (PIB), New Delhi.
Jain was previously serving as Director General (News), News Services Division (NSD), All India Radio (AIR), and was also holding the additional charge of Director General, AIR.
With his new appointment, he will head the integrated PIB-CBC structure at the headquarters level and coordinate the functioning of the combined organisation.
His appointment is significant as the ministry has placed the major communication, publicity and media coordination functions of the two organisations under the DG (Coordination), PIB.
Read also: Who Is Dhirendra Ojha? Senior IIS Officer Gets One-Year Extension as PIB Principal Director General
New Reporting Structure Under DG (Coordination), PIB
The office memorandum lays down a common reporting mechanism for senior officers of the erstwhile PIB and CBC.
According to the new arrangement, all Additional Director General (ADG)-level Indian Information Service officers belonging to both organisations will report to the DG (Coordination), PIB.
The reporting structure also covers media coordinators at the central and state levels. Chief Media Coordinators (CMCs) of various ministries and departments located in Delhi will report to the DG (Coordination), PIB.
Similarly, State Chief Media Coordinators and heads of PIB offices will also report to the DG (Coordination), PIB.
This arrangement is intended to bring the leadership and coordination responsibilities of both organisations under one authority, enabling a unified approach to government communication and publicity activities.
The ministry has clarified that the integration will take effect immediately at the headquarters level. The corresponding changes at state and branch levels will be implemented step by step.
New Organisational Structure: Publicity, Media and Outreach Functions Brought Together
The organisational chart attached to the ministry’s memorandum outlines the different communication and publicity functions that will operate under the integrated structure headed by the DG (Coordination), PIB.
The new arrangement brings together a wide range of activities that were earlier handled through the respective organisational structures of PIB and CBC.
These include building administration, audio-visual publicity, new media, outreach programmes, exhibitions, print advertising, research, fact-checking, social media and media coordination.
The structure also provides for responsibilities relating to media planning for various ministries and departments, press releases, press briefings and coordination of media activities at the state level.
By placing these functions within a common organisational framework, the ministry aims to streamline the government’s information dissemination and publicity activities.
The integration also provides for closer coordination between the communication requirements of different ministries and departments and the field-level publicity machinery.
Background: How the Government Has Been Integrating Its Media Organisations
The November 12, 2026, order is the latest step in a series of measures undertaken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to streamline government communication, publicity and outreach activities.
The process of bringing different media units closer together began several years ago, with the objective of improving coordination, reducing duplication of work and ensuring more effective implementation of government publicity programmes.
April 25, 2016: Functional Integration of Selected Field-Level Activities
On April 25, 2016, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the functional integration of selected field-level activities of four media units.
These included the Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP), Song and Drama Division (S&DD), the Exhibition Wing of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), and the Public Information Campaign (PIC) activities of PIB.
The move was aimed at improving coordination among these organisations and minimising overlapping activities in government publicity and outreach programmes.
December 8, 2017: Creation of Bureau of Outreach Communication
The next major step came on December 8, 2017, when the government integrated three media units — DAVP, DFP and S&DD — to establish the Bureau of Outreach Communication (BOC).
The integration brought advertising, field publicity and cultural outreach activities under a common organisational framework.
However, the Press Information Bureau continued to function as a separate organisation at that time.
June 6, 2022: Regional and Field-Level Integration of PIB and CBC
On June 6, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting decided on the functional integration of the regional and field offices of PIB and CBC.
Under the arrangement, officers from both organisations were required to share responsibilities and perform the duties of the two media units.
The decision marked an important step towards closer coordination between the government’s press communication and publicity functions at the regional and field levels.
June 24, 2022: BOC Renamed Central Bureau of Communication
A few weeks later, on June 24, 2022, the Bureau of Outreach Communication was renamed the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC).
The renaming was accompanied by corresponding changes in the nomenclature of its regional and field offices.
The CBC continued to handle various government communication, advertising, publicity and outreach activities.
April 17, 2023: Responsibilities of PIB and CBC Further Specified
On April 17, 2023, the ministry reiterated its June 2022 instructions regarding the functional integration of the regional and field offices of PIB and CBC.
It also specified the responsibilities that officers of the two organisations would share.
These included media coverage, press meets, news dissemination, publicity campaigns, outreach activities and social media work.
The instructions were aimed at ensuring greater coordination in the execution of government communication activities across different regions.
November 12, 2026: Headquarters-Level Integration Under Unified PIB
The latest order takes the integration process a step further by bringing the headquarters-level organisational structures of PIB and CBC together.
The two organisations will now function as a unified entity under the name Press Information Bureau (PIB), with the DG (Coordination), PIB, New Delhi, heading the combined structure.
While the integration has come into immediate effect at headquarters, the corresponding process at state and branch levels will be implemented in phases.
What the Latest Integration Means
The November 12 order represents a significant administrative restructuring of the government’s media and communication machinery.
While the earlier measures focused primarily on integrating regional and field-level activities, the latest decision extends the arrangement to the headquarters-level leadership and organisational structure.
With senior IIS officers, Chief Media Coordinators, state-level coordinators and heads of PIB offices brought under a common reporting mechanism, the ministry has established a unified administrative framework for the two organisations.
The integration brings together functions ranging from press communication and media coordination to advertising, fact-checking, social media, exhibitions and public outreach.
The phased implementation at state and branch levels will further extend this unified arrangement across the country.
Read also: MIB Promotes 10 IIS Officers to SAG, Appoints Them as Additional Directors General – List Inside
