Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr.Jitendra Singh said that Year 2014 was a turning point in the history of India, as it heralded a new chapter of rise of grassroots democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a seminar titled “175 Years of Journalism in Assam” organized by Indian Institute of Mass Communication, he said, a new renaissance is happening both in Indian and Assamese Media, where news reporting is undergoing a sea-change and turning fast to developmental and people-centric news. Dr Jitendra Singh said that in the last few years, headlines in the Assam media are more about developmental stories like highways and bridges, new airports, development of inland waterways and are no longer dominated by negative stories of extremist violence.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is a providential co-incidence that when we are celebrating 175 Years of Journalism in Assam, India is also entering into 75^th year of its Independence Day celebrations. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has listed five pillars for marking the celebrations of India's 75 years of Independence and said it should be a festival to mark the spirit of the freedom struggle and talk about the sacrifices of those who made it possible. Referring to the celebrations being divided in five sub-heads - Freedom struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolve at 75, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is the Ideas that give birth to Actions and without Actions there cannot be any achievements.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the next 25 years will be the most glorious and eventful phase, when India will become a frontline state in the Comity of Nations and the North-Eastern Region and particularly Assam will play a critical role in the rise of Modi’s New India. He said, North Eastern India with Assam at its core is on the cusp of a most modern changes in all spheres of life and Bamboo will play a vital role in rejuvenating its economy.

 DG, IIMC Dr Sanjay Dwivedi, Executive Editor of Assam Tribune Shri Prashant JyotiBaruah, Executive Editor of PurvanchalPrahari Shri Vashisth Narayan Pandey and noted journalist and State Information Commissioner Shri SamudraguptaKashyap, Convenor of the programme Professor SashwatiGoswami and all the Regional heads, faculty members and students of IIMC joined the event.

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