To create better awareness, synergy and enhance the usage of social media for good governance and inclusive development among people from diverse fields, ‘Bharat Niti’, a public policy forum, hosted a two day National Conclave on Social Media for Good Governance and Inclusive Development.
“Social media has indeed become an important tool for people’s empowerment and strengthening of the democratic process,” said Shri Murlidhar Rao, National General Secretary of the BJP, in the inaugural session of national conclave on Social Media for Good Governance and Inclusive Development conducted in New Delhi on 12-13 September 2015. The two day long national conclave was devised to create awareness and synergy among the people from diverse fields like politics, administration, media, technology, social media activism etc. Bharat Niti, a public policy forum, in association with Manav Rachna Educational Institutions had organised the event. The initiative was mainly intended to spread the usage of social media for good governance and inclusive development.
While speaking, Shri Murlidhar Rao said that unless social media gets active in Bharatiya languages, it can never represent the people of Bharat. “Social media increases quality of service delivery, public engagement and transparency,” he further added. Aruna Sundararajan IAS, Additional secretary of Communication & information Technology, delivered the keynote address in the inaugural session. The function was attended by more than 300 delegates from the spheres of media, polity and administration.
The mega event comprised of five sessions in which expert panels debated on various topics. This chapter of conclave discussed five major topics such as Public engagement and citizen participation in governance through social media, Facilitating transparency and accountability of governments through social media, Delivery of public services through social media, Social media tools for rural development and Social media and social activism were discussed. Welcoming the initiative, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region (Independent Charge), said that although social media existed since long, Modi Government has succeeded to put it before public for debate. Talking about the complementary contribution of Media and Governance, he said, both have the capacity to survive as independent entities, the actual issue is how best and optimally to use social media so that it can supplement good governance with a citizen-centric goal.
“The rise of social media is a part of a global phenomenon and it is there to stay regardless of all other factors” Dr Jitendra Singh added. He said he would like to call it socialising media rather than social media.
One of the main objective of the conclave was to increase the involvement of netizens on issues which are top priorities of government at the Centre. Dr R Balashankar, former editor of Organiser was the chief guest in the concluding session. In the concluding speech, Dr R Balashankar said, “We have a vision, Bharat ka param vaibhav and we have to make this vision of Bharat possible. Though social media is western in origin, we can use this tool for the betterment of Bharat.” Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture, Tourism and MoS for Ministry of Civil Aviation, Dr Nirmal Singh, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, R Chandrasekhar, President of NASSCOM, Dr Ajay Kumar IAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology etc along with other prominent personalities participated in the event.
Ganesh Krishnan R
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