IMPROVING DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION IN THE

NORTH EASTERN REGION: A MEDIA INITIATIVE

Dr. Akanksha Shukla1

Ms. Weena Yancey M Momin2

Abstract
Development has transformed worldwide into a civil religion. For a country to become
developed, scholars have suggested stages to be met and amongst every step proper
communication is a must. Government has time and again taken proper initiatives to uplift the
society for a better living. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of
development communication for societal development. The paper tries to study about initiatives
taken by the government, how far are they reaching the grass root level for which they are
designed. The paper is an attempt to portray the significant role that development
communication plays. The focus is on the development of the North eastern region of India and
whether the people of the region have the knowledge and information about the developmental
initiatives taken by the government.

Introduction:
Knowledge and information are vital aspects which aid the people to successfully respond to the
prospects and trials of social, economic and technological changes. In order to be beneficial,
knowledge and information have to be simplified and communicated to the people who are the
prospective target audience and who can use them to reap benefits. Scores of people in
developing countries are marginalized and fail to gain access to the wide range of information
and knowledge for whom the development program is designed. The most hit are the poor people
of the rural areas who particularly remain isolated from both traditional media and new
information and communication technologies which will help them to improve their daily life. In
essence development initiatives do not function in isolation. The primary steps involve knowing
what the precise government initiatives are, then comes the sharing of knowledge aimed at
reaching a consensus for action that takes into account the interests, needs and capacities of all
those concerned in the society.

=
Dr. Akanksha Shukla1 Over a decade long teaching/ research experience in myriad institutions of higher education in
various capacities in different fields of mass communications and journalism. Dr. Shukla is Asst Prof in Amity School
of Communication, Amity University. She is Assistant Editor of Voice Of Intellectual Man, and Assistant Editor-
The Asian Man, An International Journal. She has authored over 16 research papers in various journals of international
repute and supervisor of more than two dozen internships and summer projects.
Weena Yancey M Momin=2PhD scholar
Although under the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) initiative, India stands at number fourth
developing economy in the world, but development in the Indian society is largely pocketed in
selected areas. In order to uplift the laggard society, knowledge and communication plays a vital
role. Development is primarily the sound management of a country's human and material
resources in order to increase the production of goods and services to optimum levels, thereby
leading to the general progress and welfare of its people. Hence the communication plays a very
crucial role in the socio-economic and cultural development at national and international levels.
Thus development communication is the key aspect to help people change their behavior.

Development communication refers to the usage of communication to assist in the social

development. It uses communication to transform or improve social ills. Various types of
messages are used to change the socio-economic condition of people. These messages are aimed
to transform the activities of the people or for improving their quality of life.

Development communication has been labeled as Social transformation and development, and
"the fulfillment of basic needs" of the people. It is also defined as the art and science of human
communication applied to the prompt alteration of a country and the mass of its societies from
poverty to a vibrant state of economic growth that makes possible greater social equality and the
larger fulfillment of the human potential (Nora C. Quebral, 1971).

Basic Objectives of Development Communication:

As the main aim of development communication is to assist humanity with societal development
for better living conditions of the people, it also follows the following objectives which enables it
to achieved is goals. They are:

To determine the necessities of the people and contribute credibility to the

communication of those needs.

To deliver the citizen abundant access to the communication system to serve as effective
feedback to the government in relation to its developmental objectives and plans.

To provide horizontal and vertical communication connections at all stages of society;

communication networks through which people at all stages of society and in all regions
and localities have the proficiency to communicate with one another to bring about the
harmonythat is necessary for both resource re-development and human development.

To provide local community livelihood for cultural preservation. The preservation of the
culture through events and entertainment on nationwide radio or TV is not sufficient to
 preserve that culture which includes the activities of local people in their local
communities. Local media and local support mechanisms are prerequisite in addition to
the encouragement understood in national recognition.

To elevate people's awareness of the development projects and prospects

To help nurture attitudes those contribute to progress and enthusiasm.

To provide significant information.

To aid economic development through industrial relationship

To offer support for particular development projects and social services including health
care, agricultural or vocational skills training and family planning projects.

Role of Development Communication for Social transformation

The emergent emphasis on participatory, horizontal communication - like stakeholder dialogue

and consultation and bottom-up community media - has shaped spaces in which people can
describe the development and give meaning to and claim their citizenship. This type of
communication allows the people not only to be heard but also to reshape boundaries and social
and cultural norms that underpin knowledge and power relations. This in turn basically
contributes to the empowerment and social change. Thus, development communication are
considered valuable in themselves and for stimulating pre-determined reforms, and this
development communication may have greater potential to contribute to locally-owned reforms
and sustainable change at various levels of society.

Development communication thus plays a crucial role in shaping up the society using various
forms of media communication. They are utilized in the following form:

By using various media for development communication it can reach the larger audiences
urban as well as the rural areas.

It helps to communicate proper information that has been left out.

Communication for Growth and Social Transformation

Developmental Initiatives taken by the Government:

In the momentous book Development as Freedom, Professor Amartya Sen ascertains five
interrelated instrumental freedoms given those persons with types of rights and prospects to
progress their lives and shape their future. These freedoms are regarded as the primary means of
development. The argument he presents is powerful and demonstrates the multidimensional
characteristics of social exclusion. The rationale principal links between different categories of
rights and chance is strong and convincing. Access to one simplifies access to others, whereas
disavowal of any one category impedes ones capability to reach others. This theoretical context
is appropriate to the analysis of public policies affecting poor and marginalized populations.
Public policies that stimulate these rights heighten the capabilities of citizens and empower them
to become representatives of their own development. Such policies enhance the lives of people
and enable them to attain development objectives.

In order to bring social transformation in India, Government of India has developed and
strategized various policies and developmental initiatives. These initiatives taken by the
government is mainly to develop the people of the country especially the backward areas where
many basic amenities are still lagging behind. Some of the developmental programmes
developed by the government of India are listed below in the table:

s.
Scheme
n ed year
1 AamAadmiBimaYojana
2 GraminBhandaranYojna
3 SukanyaSamridhiYojana
(Girl Child Prosperity
Scheme)
Launch
Ministry Provision
Scheme extends the benefit of life
insurance coverage as well as
coverage of partial and permanent
disability to the head of the family
2007 or an earning member of the
family of rural landless households
and educational assistance to their
children studying from 9th to 12th
standard as an extended benefit.
Creation of scientific storage
capacity with allied facilities in
rural areas to meet the
requirements of farmers for storing
farm produce, processed farm
MoA 2007
produce and agricultural inputs.
Improve their marketability
through promotion of grading,
standardization and quality control
of agricultural produce
MoWCD Jan-15 The scheme primarily ensures
equitable share to a girl child in
resources and savings of a family
in which she is generally
discriminated as against a male
 child.

This scheme will organize rural

Ministry
poor into SHG groups and make
National Rural Livelihood of rural
4 Jan-15 them capable for self-employment.
Mission(NRLM) Developm
The idea is to developing better
ent
livelihood options for the poor
Providing additional wage
SampoornaGrameenRozgar employment and food security,
5 MoRD Sep-01
Yojana alongside creation of durable
community assets in rural areas.
Educational facilities (residential
schools) for girls belonging
Kasturba Gandhi to SC, ST, OBC, minority
6 MoHRD Jul-04
BalikaVidyalaya communities and families below
the poverty line in Educationally
Backward Blocks
To provide around 100 days of
7 JawaharRozgarYojana Jun-05
employment to rural unemployed

National Rural Employment 100 days wage employment for

8 2006
Guarantee Scheme NREGS development works in rural areas.

Extending electrification of all

2005: Rajeev Gandhi
villages and habitations and
9 GrameenVidyuti Karan 2005
ensuring electricity to every
Yojna
household.
Accessible, affordable,
National Rural Health accountable, quality health
10 2005
Mission services to the poorest of the poor
on remotest areas of the country.
Sampoorna Grameen Employment and food security to
11 2001
Rozgar Yojna rural people

PradhanMantri Gram Connect all villages with nearest

12 2000
SadakYojna: pukka road
The above lists are some of the developmental initiatives taken by the government of India for
the societal development in India. These developmental programmes are especially developed
for helping the backward areas like North Eastern states where development is very slow.
These schemes are supposed to reach the grass root level of the society. But the implementation
of the schemes has not been properly communicated to the grass root people of the society.

A small survey was conducted in the entire North Eastern States of India, to check the awareness
of these schemes among the people. The questionnaire was prepared for examining the levels of
awareness among the rural as well as urban areas. A list of questionnaire was prepared where
various questions were ask to examine if the people of the North East are aware of the above
policies and scheme which the government has developed for uplifting the society. These
schemes were supposed to be implemented for betterment of the people.

The sample size of 600 individuals from each state was taken both from rural and urban areas.
After conducting in-depth interviews and collecting the feedback of the questionnaire which was
distributed, a very high percentage of respondents (around 69% )was still unaware of the various
schemes and initiatives which the government has taken for improving the lives of the people
living in the backward areas like North East region. When they were ask if they have heard
about the developmental schemes like Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar
Yojana etc some of them replied that they have heard of the names of the programmes but they
do not know what they actually are. Also the communication through television, radio etc. that
were given was not given in detail hence they lack in knowledge about the developmental
schemes. About 31% population especially living in the urban areas agreed that they have the
knowledge about the various schemes developed by the government and also they have utilized
some of them as well. When they were asked they replied that they have received information
through various advertisements and also through local NGOs and local government offices
where these informations were passed among the public.

The developmental schemes were created for the societal development. But in this case people in
this region still lack the knowledge and information about such important aspects of
development. If the information regarding various schemes is properly communicated, there are
beat reporters specially to cover the government initiatives under various heads and corporate
houses or private radio frequency contribute by playing advertisements with details about the
scheme the region would have developed further and the problems like insurgencies, low literacy
rate, various health issues like malaria, HIV, cancer etc. would have reduced and people would
have better living standards in the society.

In-order to bring about development and increase awareness about these initiatives taken by the
government, development communication is needed in a sound and comprehensive way. The
North Eastern region of India is one of the richest regions in the country. The diverse culture, its
rich ecology, dense bio diversity has the potential for attracting the tourist as well as the private
companies to the place. The region has the potential to attract many private companies which
would create better employment opportunities hence enhancing better livelihood as well. So in
order to develop the region, these various developmental schemes need to be implemented for
better society. Hence Development communication plays a crucial role in communicating this
awareness among people which would enable them to make use of the initiatives that the
government has provided for them for their better living standards.

Conclusion:

The main thrust of the pulsating North-East regional development lies in the way communication
is handled for the societal development. To bring about the revolution, the need to communicate
these developmental initiatives has become a must. For creating harmony and peace in the
region, the implementation of the developmental initiatives taken by the government of India can
be brought about by comprehensively linking the development initiatives and policies for the
region to the Public Relations program of the government. This will ensure timely regulation of
awareness campaigns of the various schemes. A regular monitoring of the program will also
ensure that rampant corruption in relation of these schemes can be checked and its regular
reporting in newspapers and regional channels will seal pilferage if any. There can be extensive
and all out use of the traditional media and even the New Media through the mobile technology
can be creatively used to check applications and success of government initiated schemes. Hence
development communication has become a crucial part for sustainable development of any
growing society. Therefore the government should take the initiative to implement development
communication in the North East region to bring about the societal development.

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