Five journalists from Jammu and Kashmir are among a select group of media professionals participating in an 11-day capacity-building programme on National Security Journalism that commenced on Monday at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the residential programme will continue until August 6 and is aimed at enhancing journalists’ understanding of national security issues while promoting accurate, responsible, and informed reporting.
The participants from Jammu and Kashmir are Sheikh Saleem, Muneeb-ul-Haq, Syed Rizwan Geelani, Suhail Khan, and Waris Fayaz.
According to the organisers, the inaugural day featured three sessions focusing on the broader dimensions of national security journalism and its growing significance for journalists reporting from conflict-prone and strategically sensitive regions.
The discussions highlighted the evolving role of the media in addressing contemporary national security challenges, with particular emphasis on issues related to Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the inaugural session, Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Kalpesh H. Wandra said the programme has been designed to develop journalists capable of reporting on India’s national security with accuracy, responsibility, and strategic understanding.
He said the course combines expert-led lectures, interactions with security practitioners, case-based learning, practical reporting tools, and structured field exposure to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of security-related issues.
Prof. Wandra said the training will cover key areas including defence, internal security, terrorism, border management, coastal security, cyber threats, public order, disaster management, critical infrastructure, and other aspects of national security.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Jasbir Kaur Thadhani, Dean Academic at RRU, said the workshop will also include visits to key national security institutions, enabling journalists to gain first-hand operational exposure.
She emphasised that national security reporting has become increasingly important in the digital era, where the media plays a crucial role in shaping public perception during security-related events.
Dr. Thadhani noted that the rapid expansion of digital platforms has also accelerated the spread of misinformation and hostile narratives, making responsible and fact-based journalism more essential than ever.
She said the programme seeks to equip journalists with the domain knowledge, contextual understanding, and verification skills required to report on national security issues accurately, responsibly, and in a manner that strengthens democratic discourse. (KINS)
