DYSS holds capacity-building training for district publicity coordinators

Jammu, Jan 7: The Directorate of Youth Services & Sports (DYSS) J&K organised its maiden capacity-building programme for District Publicity Coordinators (DPCs) and Additional District Publicity Coordinators (ADPCs). The two-day training, which equipped participants with critical modern skills in drone technology, digital storytelling, and strategic communication, marked a transformative step for sports and youth engagement in the Union Territory.

Director General YS&S Anuradha Gupta, as per the DYSS statement issued on Wednesday, spearheaded the initiative and emphasised the programme’s significance. “In today’s digital age, effective publicity is the cornerstone of public engagement. By mastering storytelling through contemporary tools, we do not merely report events we inspire communities, celebrate youth achievements, and amplify the impact of government initiatives,” she stated.

She further added, ‘’The training is a direct stride towards realising the vision outlined in the sports policy of the J&K Government, which mandates the use of information technology tools for the dissemination of information to the public. The policy underscores that publicity and media play an important role in the popularisation and promotion of sports amongst the masses. It states that efforts shall be made to ensure proper media coverage of important sports tournaments and that adequate publicity is required to achieve these objectives’’.

Deputy Director Activities/Planning of the Directorate, Megha Baogia, who attended the inaugural session, expressed her satisfaction with the training. “This hands-on programme provided practical training across essential domains. Participants received instruction in crafting press notes and official communications, operating drones for aerial event coverage, and enhancing photography for visual storytelling. The curriculum also included building skills in social media management, digital outreach, and creating impactful presentations for reports and proposals,” she said. These skills are foundational for maintaining the interactive departmental website as envisaged in the sports policy, which is to contain all necessary updated information for the public, sportspersons, and infrastructure developers.

The Media & Publicity Coordinator at the Directorate, Azhar Hajinj, described the training as a pivotal development. “Under the visionary leadership of Director General Anuradha Gupta, this program empowers our teams to become effective communicators. It marks a decisive shift towards greater professionalism and excellence in our outreach, directly supporting our mandate to disseminate information effectively as per the government’s policy,” he stated.

The training sessions were conducted by a panel of expert resource persons, including Senior Journalist and IMCSD Managing Director/CEO Vikas Sharma; accredited Senior Journalist from Punjab Kesari Vicky Verma; Head of Department for IT at GCW Udhampur Dr. Vishal Sharma; and photography, videography, and drone experts Pankaj Gupta and Mohit Sharma.

A core objective was to reinforce strict government communication protocols, documentation standards, and media ethics. This focus ensures all official publicity from the department maintains uniformity, credibility, and authority, thereby strengthening public trust. The training also aligns with the policy’s emphasis on systematic and technology-driven communication to popularise sports.

The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation of 40 officials from 20 district teams, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment over its two-day duration.

The valedictory function was attended by the DG YSS and Deputy Director Activities/Planning, who distributed participation certificates among the trainees.