New Delhi, Sep 1: Public communication is an integral part of governance and it must evolve with changing technologies and platforms, Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Chanchal Kumar said on Tuesday.
Addressing the valedictory function and graduation ceremony for Group A officer trainees of the Indian Information Service (IIS) at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication here, Kumar also said that the role of IIS officers goes beyond communication as they are a vital link between governance and citizens' aspirations, building trust through accuracy, credibility and compassion.
He noted that officers must remain aware of emerging technologies, with AI becoming a gamechanger, even as misinformation, deepfakes, and synthetically generated content pose new challenges.
"Public communication is an integral part of governance and must evolve with changing technologies and platforms," he said.
Kumar emphasised that communication must be a two-way process, with citizen feedback helping improve policies and their implementation.
While speed is important, he said, accuracy and credibility remain non-negotiable, as every communication carries the authority of the institution.
The I&B secretary also said officers must continuously upgrade their skills, stay connected with the field, and be prepared to take up and understand other aspects of governance when entrusted with responsibilities beyond communication.
Pragya Paliwal Gaur, vice chancellor of the IIMC, said the officer trainees are the first recipients of this PG degree, reflecting the strengthening of IIMC's academic role and its close relationship with professional training in communication.
The ceremony marked a historic milestone for IIMC and the IIS with IIMC conferring postgraduate degrees on IIS officer trainees for the first time after becoming a deemed to be university.
