Just PM Modi; no Mr, Shriman, Honourable

No more is Mr, Shri, Mananiya, Honourable or Shriman to be used before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name in government advertisements. The Prime Minister’s Office has directed all ministries to scrap such honorific titles or appendices to the PM’s name. It will just be PM Narendra Modi from now on.

Sources said all departments were also asked to appoint a nodal officer each to get their advertisements cleared by the PMO. Information and broadcasting ministry sources said the PMO has often expressed displeasure that its directives on government ads were not being followed.

Some ministries and departments are still using Mr or Honourable in front of the Prime Minister’s name, and despite repeated reminders there is no uniformity in the advertisements released by different ministries.

Some ministries issue ads with Shri, Mananiya, Shriman or Honourable before the names of their respective ministers, and sources said this compels them to use a similar honorific before Mr Modi’s name.

In one recent case, an advertisement issued by the HRD ministry had such honorific titles before the names of its three ministers, but interestingly the Prime Minister’s name did not have such a title. But the government was saved from embarrassment as these titles were withdrawn from the names of the other ministers as well. The PMO is learnt to be closely monitoring the mainstream media and social media over their coverage of the Modi government.

It is understood that the PM has a hands-on approach towards public awareness campaigns by the government. It is also learnt that Mr Modi has personally reviewed the advertisement campaigns for several of the government’s programmes which are closest to his heart.