Bring citizen-centric approach in communication: I&B minister Anurag Thakur to colleagues

NEW DELHI: Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur has sought an overhaul of the existing communication architecture and framework to help foster engagement of Modi government with the civil society across media platforms.

The four-term Hamirpur MP, handpicked to lead the ministry by the Prime Minister for his known affability and warmth among his own party colleagues and opponents, surprised everyone last week when he decided to chair a meeting with a self-made presentation to his ministry colleagues, a deviation from the earlier stance where administrators and senior bureacurats would be asked to prepare the roadmap on reforms and expansion of campaigns to help deliver government policies and schemes.

"The minister gave a presentation emphasising that an idea was bigger than the chair. He sought intellectual honesty, real-time approach of communication set up on how to explain new laws, notifications, schemes whether banking, income-tax related, health, start-ups, science and technology with extensive use of videos, info-graphics. He wants a real-time, results oriented approach with performance indicators," said a senior

MIB

official.

Thakur also batted for publicity material to be crisp and clear; along with narration highlighting the human-interest instead of being an incomprehensible government announcement alone.

"India needs a citizen-centric approach for communication and outreach. Just like the Prime Minister himself insists in his Mann ki Baat that each welfare scheme must be looked at to create an impact and should touch the lives of people.

Citizens

should not be expected to struggle and reach us. We must reach the citizens," said the official on the condition of anonymity.

"This was the first time a Cabinet Minister of Modi govt has given a presentation back to his ministry, usually officers present it to the Minister. Its indeed motivational for us," he added.

The minister said that it was time that MIB colleagues must break barriers, become enablers of effective communication through deep analytics, dashboards and target-oriented timelines. He said content is king, each platform has a different audience and requires curated content.

Social

media must be effectively used to directly communicate with the people of India to help them easily interpret the policies and activities of the government.