Do public relations from your heart, not with your mind: Prof. Dwivedi

New Delhi, December 13, 2021: The Department of Advertising and Public Relations, IIMC is organizing a one week Government Communication workshop from 13th December to 17th December 2021. Many senior functionaries from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Industry Experts will conduct the sessions with ADPR students.
The workshop was inaugurated by Director General of Indian Institute of Mass Communication Prof. Sanjay Dwivedi. He said A Public Relations is not done with the mind, but with the heart. For the building of any moral society and successful nation, it is necessary that its base is connected with the roots of right knowledge. Government information system has an important role in this work. It is the responsibility of communicators to make government public relations more 'effective'.
Prof. Dwivedi said that there is still a lack of awareness about government programs and welfare schemes among a large section of our population. Through the government communication system, we should ensure that the information of these programs and schemes reaches the last person of the society. He said that today the officers associated with the government information system are making better use of the modern technology of social media apart from the traditional means of communication. It is the responsibility of the officers to make the government's contact and communication with the people effective.
Prof. Anubhuti Yadav, Course Director, ADPR Department said that Government Communication Workshop is organized every year to introduce students to the role government communication system plays in making people aware of various government policies and programmes. In this workshop senior officers from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting interact with the students and teach them about the key roles, challenges and set up of various Government Communication departments.
On the first day, Shri. K. Satish Nambudiripad, Additional Director General  in Bureau of Outreach & Communication, Dr. Nimish Rustagi, Director of Press Information Bureau , Mr. B. Narayanan, Additional Director General in Press Information Bureau and Mr. Akshay Rout, Former DG, Swachh Bharat Mission in Ministry of Drinking and Sanitation interacted with the students.
Shri. K. Satish Nambudiripad gave an overview of the Government Information System and said that the internet gives us this privilege that news can be accessed by everyone and is not only restricted to the elites.
Dr. Nimish Rustagi interacted with students about structure and functions of the Press Information Bureau and discussed media outreach programs like Vartalaaps, Regional Editors Conferences. He shared with the students the role the PIB fact checking unit played in debunking misinformation around Covid-19 during Pandemic.
Mr. B. Narayanan highlighted the fact that after 2014, in the government communication system social media became a key point to reach the citizens directly. Apart from spreading awareness about the government welfare schemes it became a key tool for grievances redressal.
Mr. Akshay Rout highlighted two historic achievements of the government in recent times. First sustained increase in voters’ registration and turnout in Indian elections and second is the fulfillment of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Both of these are globally acknowledged as fine examples of behavioral change communication. He further briefs the students about strategy, implementation and communication of these two initiatives.