New Delhi: Special Secretary, Information Department, Jammu and Kashmir, Pawan Singh Rathore, participated in a national conference of States, Union Territories and Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Secretaries convened by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at Vigyan Bhawan here on Tuesday.
The conference brought together senior officials from the Centre and States/UTs to discuss coordination in public broadcasting, media, film, information dissemination and the emerging media and entertainment sector.
According to officials, discussions covered 15 key areas, including the roadmap for WAVES 2027, strengthening WAVES Bazaar, expansion of public broadcasting infrastructure, adoption of the Indian Cine Hub single-window system for film shooting and live-event permissions, implementation of the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, promotion of low-cost cinema in rural areas, accessibility standards in cinema halls and capacity building of information department officers.
The conference also reviewed initiatives such as WAVES OTT, MyWAVES, Gems of India and WAVEX, a startup accelerator aimed at supporting media and technology-based enterprises. Participants discussed measures to promote local content, tourism, culture and heritage through national broadcasting platforms.
States and Union Territories were encouraged to designate nodal officers for coordination of WAVES and the Create in India Challenge (CIC) initiatives, identify incubation spaces and facilitate participation of startups, creators and innovators in the creative economy ecosystem.
Deliberations also focused on strengthening the film ecosystem through the Indian Cine Hub and simplifying permissions for film shooting and live events through a single-window mechanism.
Officials said the conference highlighted the importance of Centre-State collaboration in expanding opportunities for creators, filmmakers, startups and media professionals while strengthening public communication systems and creative industries across the country.
Rathore participated in discussions on enhancing Jammu and Kashmir’s engagement with national media, broadcasting and creative economy initiatives and explored opportunities for greater participation of local creators, filmmakers and media professionals in programmes such as WAVES and the Create in India Challenge.
