Uttarakhand, one of India’s smallest states with a population of just over one crore, has seen its government spend over ₹1,000 crore on advertisements in the past five years—more than what is allocated for mid-day meals for children. From WhatsApp festival greetings costing ₹37 lakh to constant TV campaigns featuring the Chief Minister and government initiatives, the state has executed one of the most aggressive publicity drives ever by any Indian state. What appears as “informing the public” often seems like an elaborate effort to promote the government’s image rather than delivering tangible benefits to citizens.
 
The trend escalated after Pushkar Singh Dhami became Chief Minister in July 2021. Changes in advertising rules soon led to a massive flow of public funds to both national and local media outlets. Television alone accounted for nearly ₹402 crore, with national channels like News18 India, Times Now, and Aaj Tak receiving crores, while local channels received ₹296.8 crore—sometimes even more during election years. Surprisingly, some out-of-state channels, including Chardikla Time TV (Punjab) and Hornbill TV (Nagaland), were also paid, highlighting that the expenditure was aimed more at publicity than informing Uttarakhand residents.