NEW DELHI: In a meet that was meant to convey sarkaari farmaan as well as admonish, Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today told his officers today that the focus of communication strategy should be to incorporate innovative and out of the box ideas in order to keep pace with the changing communication paradigm.

In a meeting with senior Indian Information Service officers, he said the communication approach of the Ministry should strive for empowerment of people, by informing them regarding key initiatives of the Government in order to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Reform, Perform and Transform” forward.

Technology played a critical part in defining the communication approach especially with the enhanced role of different media platforms.Secretary Ajay Mittal was also present on the occasion.

The Minister said there is an urban-rural divide in the country and the communication managers should design appropriate strategies to address the vast cross section living in rural areas, marginalized communities and focus on the empowerment of the women.

Naidu said it is important to engage with the people through innovative products, creative messages and a language which is easily comprehendible. The Minister cited the example of Prime Minister’s 'Mann ki Baat' broadcasts on All India Radio as an innovative approach to reach out to the people. It is also a challenge for Government communication managers to re-examine their approach towards critical issues and schemes such as Goods and Services Tax, Jan Dhan Yojana, Neem coated urea etc.

The Minister stressed on the need for IIS officers to learn and adapt to the new technologies, tools, techniques to enhance reach of the government especially in the age of social media. The social media perspective had changed the way communication and governance was conducted in the present day. This provided challenges and opportunities for the officers. In his interaction, the Minister emphasized on the need to be progressive in thought and take pride in the role and responsibility assigned to each officer. He specifically mentioned the initiative taken by the Ministry to institutionalize capacity building through appropriate training programs at different career levels.