Govt replaces its chief spokesperson

The Centre on Friday transferred Principal director-general of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Neelam Kapur, a familiar face at press briefings addressed by senior Cabinet ministers, to handle the government's field publicity. It also transferred out head of Doordarshan News S M Khan and put him on "compulsory wait".

Frank Noronha will replace Kapur as principal D-G of Media and Communication to the Government of India. Noronha is a 1982-batch Indian Information Service (IIS) officer. He will now be the government's chief spokesperson.

Noronha has worked as information officer in various ministries, and also as Deputy Press Secretary to the President of India. Archana Dutta, director-general (news) at All India Radio, has been given the additional charge of DD (news) in place of Khan, sources said.

Kapur, also a 1982 batch IIS officer, will now be DG field publicity. Until last week, sources claimed Kapur's name was being discussed as the next head of The Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of the High Commission of India in the UK. Some of Kapur's recent tweets included one where Twitter India's Raheel Khursheed held a training session of Press Information Bureau officers on how to use social media. "A session of Press Information Officers with Raheel Khursheed head of Govt and politics Twitter India. Trying to do it better," she tweeted on August 5. Khursheed has been facing flak on the micro-blogging site for some of his tweets dating back to 2012.