Returned to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting after 15 years, Arun Jaitley on Monday said his Ministry would have to look at the changed information process scenario where the domain of the media has expanded immensely.
Saying he would devote some time every day at the I&B Ministry, “I have been in this Ministry before, there was more print media than electronic media. Today, there has been a lot of growth of radio and digital media. There was a time, when the major work of this Ministry was Doordarshan and All India Radio. It is still a major area, but this changed information process scenario, this Ministry has to look at that.” He took charge from Prakash Javadekar, who retained the Environment Ministry.
Jaitley who was I&B Minister under Vajpayee in 1999, said that there was perceived to be a communication gap between the Government and the media, and only “one way communication” was taking place.
Along with Jaitley, Olympian shooter-turned-politician Rajyavardhan Rathore, also took charge as the MoS for I&B. Rathore clarified that one of the most important things for this Government after it came to power was to take immediate steps to put economy and national security on track. “Hence, perhaps you get the impression that the communication was a little stifled. However, that is not the intention at all,” he said.
He assured that with Jaitley and he at the helm of affairs there will be all out efforts for two-way communication with media.