New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has conferred postgraduate degrees on Group A Officer Trainees of the Indian Information Service (IIS) for the first time since becoming a Deemed to be University, marking a new chapter in the professional training of government communicators.
The degrees were awarded at the valedictory function and graduation ceremony for IIS Officer Trainees from the 2009, 2023 and 2024 batches. The trainees received the MA in Public Communication & Governance after completing the prescribed academic and professional requirements.
The programme brings academic study of public communication, media and governance into IIS professional training, strengthening the link between formal education and the practical responsibilities of government communication officers.
Addressing the ceremony, Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said the role of IIS officers extends beyond communicating government policies. Public communication, he said, is an integral part of governance and must keep pace with changing technologies and platforms.
He pointed to artificial intelligence as a major development while highlighting the challenges posed by misinformation, deepfakes and synthetically generated content. He also stressed that communication must work as a two-way process, with citizen feedback informing improvements in policies and their implementation.
According to Kumar, speed in communication is important, but accuracy and credibility cannot be compromised because every official communication carries the authority of the institution. He also called on officers to keep upgrading their skills, remain connected with the field and develop an understanding of wider governance responsibilities when required.
He said citizens must remain at the centre of their work, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable sections. Officers, he added, should assess whether their work is helping people and respond to citizens’ concerns with compassion.
IIMC Vice-Chancellor Pragya Paliwal Gaur said the officer trainees were the first recipients of the postgraduate degree, reflecting IIMC’s expanded academic role and its continuing connection with professional communication training.
She said communication is about creating understanding, not just transmitting information, and called on the trainees to approach their responsibilities with clarity, objectivity and sensitivity. The MA degree, she added, also highlights the importance of continuous learning in a field that is changing rapidly.
The ceremony was attended by Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; K. K. Nirala, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; L. Madhu Nag, Director General, Training; senior government officials, faculty members and Officer Trainees.
The introduction of the postgraduate degree adds an academic dimension to IIS training at a time when government communication is being reshaped by new technologies, evolving media platforms and the growing challenge of maintaining public trust.
BI Bureau
