Photo Division: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India

History and Founding

Photo Division was established on 6 October 1959 as an Integrated Photo Unit, a subordinate office of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It was created by consolidating the photo studio of the Publication Division and the Photo Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP). In the early 1960s it was formally renamed the Photo Division. It is the largest production unit of its kind in India in the field of photography.

Functions and Mandate

Photo Division is responsible for the visual documentation of the growth, development, and political, economic, and social changes in India. It provides photographic coverage — both black-and-white and color — to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its units, as well as to other central and state government agencies, the President's Secretariat, Vice-President's Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office, and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats. It also supplies imagery to Indian diplomatic missions abroad through the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Archive and Collections

The Division maintains an extensive archive of official photographs of Government of India events and functions, with holdings tracing back to the 1930s. The archive has been progressively digitized and catalogued. Archival images are available online through the Photo Division website, organized by subject areas including the President's House, Parliament, Prime Minister, and External Affairs. The website provides open access for researchers, media, and the general public for research and cross-referencing purposes.

Technology and Modernization

The Division has modernized its operations in phases, converting analog laboratory processes to digital, upgrading its News Photo Network, and acquiring digital cameras and laptop equipment for rapid transmission of images from the field. PIB uses Photo Division images for day-to-day press feeds distributed via the internet.