These so-called “short films” were therefore conceived as part and parcel of a State propaganda effort, especially in the shorts produced by the FD. Documentaries were meant to play a significant role in these various areas by circulating news, spreading a form of national conscience, educating the masses, especially the illiterates on various topics ranging from agriculture to hygiene, and reporting on the achievements of the young nation.
The first decades of Indian documentaries at the FD were partly dedicated to nation-building, in a country facing numerous challenges in terms of education, social cohesion, economic development, etc. These three areas of production (internal to, associated with and external to FD) made up the Indian documentary film sector of the 1950s. Following the model of the Indian mixed economy, in which public and private sectors collaborated, most of FD films were produced internally, whilst the rest was commissioned from private companies which also produced films outside of FD. In 1948, one year after India's independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated FD to participate in the project of nation building.
Acknowledging the critical role of documentary images, the Indian State was prompt in creating a national institution, the Films Division (FD) to supervise the production and distribution of documentary films and newsreels. Over the first three decades of Independent India (1948-1975), documentary film was considered by the new State as the most important medium of mass communication and education. The Documentary Film in India (1948-1975)