The second All India Annual Conference of Indian Information Service (IIS) Officers was held at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi, with the objective of strengthening integration among the various media units of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and enhancing the effectiveness of government communication.
The conference featured discussions on integrated and theme-based communication strategies, regional expansion of social media, the use of integrated dashboards, and the adoption of a Government Communication Impact Assessment Framework. Deliberations also focused on communication plans for key national milestones, including the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, 75 years of India’s Independence, and the Golden Jubilee edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). A performance review of the Ministry’s media units was also conducted.
In his message to the delegates, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri Prakash Javadekar emphasized the importance of gathering public feedback alongside communicating government policies and programmes. Describing IIS officers as the “eyes and ears” of the government, he urged them to adopt a collaborative and unified communication approach rather than working in silos.
The Minister also encouraged greater engagement with institutions of mass communication and suggested leveraging internship programmes to harness young talent and make government communication more innovative and relevant.
Addressing the inaugural session, I&B Secretary Shri Amit Khare highlighted the need to move from a ministry-centric communication model to a citizen-centric and thematic approach. He stressed the importance of participatory communication that actively involves citizens, particularly beneficiaries of government schemes.
He further called for a stronger digital orientation in government communication, suggesting the exploration of media releases supplemented with short embedded videos to improve outreach and engagement.
The conference was attended by senior IIS officers from across the country, along with officials from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Prasar Bharati, and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
