Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DPR & I)

Organizational and Functional Layout of the DPR & I


Commander

BRIG GEN KRISHNA PRASAD BHANDARI
DIRECTOR

Who we are

The Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DPR & I) was established on 2 April 2002, at the height of the counter insurgency operations, with a view to maintaining greater transparency of military operations and other activities. This office functions directly under the office of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). It serves to strengthen the warm support that the national army enjoys from the people of Nepal by keeping the public informed about how this institution strives to excel in all its mandated roles. It aims to win the trust of the public through accurate and timely presentation of facts.

What we do

The key function of the DPR & I is to promote and enhance the public perception of the Nepali Army (NA) as the defenders of the country and her interests, as good employers, as an organization that is efficient and cost effective user of the tax payers' money and as contributors to the well being of the civil communities of which each individual is a part. These responsibilities are conducted through the following activities.

General
  • The spokesperson advices COAS and other general officers on issues related to Public Relations.
  • DPR & I staff officers advise the spokesperson on public relation matters.
  • Detail and thorough briefing to newly appointed battalion and company commanders regarding public relations policy.
  • Adopt necessary counter measures and suggest the members of NA when their individual issues are exploited in media.
  • Daily monitoring of all news channels, publications and online news agencies and take necessary actions.
  • Decide on measures to implement tasks ahead with integrated efforts between all staff officers and with the commander’s intentions.
  • Decentralization of authority down to divisional level.
  • Control and censor all the publications produced from NA.
  • Update and manage NA official website.
Media Relations
  • Research, plan, implement and evaluate to counter those issues which frequently raise public concern.
  • Listen to public grievances through open communication channels such as media. Whenever negative news affects the NA integrity, DPR & I instantly reacts to find out facts with concerned local commanders mobilizing all available sources.
  • Disseminate media and public relations policy down to company level.
  • Inform internal and external audiences through various publications such as Coffee table book, Annual “Sipahi” journal, “Sipahi” fortnightly newspaper, DVDs and radio programme.
  • Inform NA stances on issues through press releases, rebuttals, press conferences, seminars, interviews.
  • Establish friendly and cooperative relationship with media and using it as a tool to boost public support for the institution.
  • Promoting trust, credibility and transparency through regular interaction with media personnel.
  • Embed media in peacekeeping missions.
Training
  • Conduct seminars, conferences and other relevant programmes.
  • Media handling training.
    • Officers
    • Other Ranks.
    • Media handling package in other career courses for all ranks.
Community (Public Relations)
  • Liaison with various NA departments and provide necessary information to non-military persons seeking them.
  • Enhance image of NA by providing materialistic and human support on production of movies.
  • Providing NA infrastructural assets for public programmes.

Brigadier General Krishna Prasad Bhandari is the current Director of Directorate of Public Relations and Information . He is also the Spokesperson/Information Officer of the Nepali Army.

The DPR & I always remains available to the public for information on the Nepali Army. We can be contacted at:

Mailing Address Directorate of Public Relations and Information, Nepali Army Headquarters, Bhadrakali, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tel. No. +977-1-4269624 / +977-1-4246140
E-mail dte-dpr@nepalarmy.mil.np