Jammu: The news reporters must not become activists with vested interests, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday as he called for showing the brighter side of the government which had taken many historical decisions for public good.
He also said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the COVID-19 adversity turned into an opportunity as world's first DNA vaccine and nasal vaccine for the coronavirus was indigenously developed bolstering India as a vaccine development and manufacturing centre.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office was speaking at two separate functions.
"The media must show the brighter side of the government like the DoNER model of development in the North-East which has changed the development paradigms of the region, the 'StartUp Stand-up' revolution, historical decision of abolishing interviews for non-gazetted posts and the deep sea mission under the leadership of Modi," said Mr Singh, a former minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
"The socio-economic reforms made by this government like the family pension to the divorce daughter, family pension to the families of missing government employees especially in J&K and North East and the digital life certificate must be brought to the public by the media so that information is disseminated to the deserving," he said at the launch of J&K chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI).
He said the reporters must not become activists with vested interests as biases can creep in making news not newsworthy.
"Communication is emerging now as an institution and it becomes the responsibility of PRSI to place the institution above the individual for the welfare of the people," the minister said.
He said the greater responsibility of PRSI is to fill the gaps in government communication in such a manner that the people are informed by the media according to the development communication models.
Calling Modi as the "best communicator in the world", Mr Singh said he has initiated new areas, laid the foundation of unexplored areas which were never in news, the best example being the 'Swachhta'.
Attending Medicos Meet 'Celebrating the Multi-faceted', he said under Modi, the COVID-19 adversity turned into an opportunity in India when world's first DNA vaccine and nasal vaccine for coronavirus was indigenously developed in India which has not only strengthened 'AtmaNirbhar Bharat' but also bolstered India's status as a worldwide vaccine development and manufacturing centre.
On the occasion, the latest 2023 edition of the RSSDI Text Book of Diabetes Mellitus for postgraduate students was released. The book has the foreword and an exclusive chapter by Mr Singh, who is also a nationally known diabetologist and Professor of Diabetes and Medicine.
"The path breaking decisions by the Modi-led government will be written in the golden words in history not done from the last 70 years, be that the done away with the attestation by a gazetted officer," he said.
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