In its efforts to "streamline the inflow of information to the media", the home ministry on Thursday issued a set of guidelines under which only four sources -- home minister, minister of state for home affairs, home secretary, additional director general for media and spokesperson would disseminate information.
"There will be four points of information dissemination, and this has been done to streamline the outflow of it," a ministry official told IANS.
He said the move, aimed at spreading proper information, should be taken positively as the media is not being gagged.
"This is a positive move. Now instead of having 25 or more different sources, media persons will have designated officials to take the required information from," the ministry official said.
The ministry "has converged the points of information dissemination" to the media, he said.
"Ministers (home minister/MoS) always communicate with the media. Additional Director General, media, and spokesperson of the ministry are two more points for facilitating smooth and coordinated information flow," he told IANS.