Ahmedabad, Aug 6: India’s maiden residential workshop on National Security Journalism organised by Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gujarat concluded on Thursday. During the workshop, the participants were urged to uphold accuracy, responsibility and ethical standards while reporting on complex national security issues.
As many as 42 journalists, research scholars and academicians from across the country participated in the workshop organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.
The workshop was organised by the School of International Cooperation, Security and Strategic Languages (SICSSL) to enhance journalists’ understanding of national security and strategic affairs and strengthen their capacity for informed, fact-based reporting.
Among 42 participants were five journalists from Kashmir- Muneeb-ul-Haq, Sheikh Saleem Bin Ahmad, Syed Rizwan Geelani, Suhail Khan and Waris Fayaz.
During the valedictory function, Vice Chancellor RRU Gujarat spoke about the growing importance of presenting credible narratives on national security in an increasingly competitive global information environment.
Referring to discussions held following Operation Sindoor, he said there was a growing need to ensure that India’s perspective and the realities on the ground were presented accurately in the international media.
He said the university had consistently benefited from inputs received through the National Security Advisory Board and stressed the importance of developing a cadre of journalists capable of reporting security issues with professionalism and responsibility.
The workshop combined classroom learning with practical exposure to contemporary security challenges, including Left Wing Extremism, narcotics trafficking, cyber security, Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
During the 11-day workshop, the participants visited premier national security institutions, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), NDRF and other security establishments, providing them first-hand exposure to the functioning and operational realities of India’s security forces.
Throughout the programme, the participants interacted with senior security practitioners, journalists, defence officers, law enforcement officials, cyber experts and behavioural specialists to gain multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging security issues.
An interactive session was also held with the National Security Guard (NSG), during which participants witnessed demonstrations and interacted with NSG personnel to understand the force’s specialised counter-terrorism role and the complexities involved in reporting sensitive security operations responsibly.
Also, Executive Editor of CNN-News18 Shawan Sen delivered a session on embedded journalism in conflict zones, drawing upon his frontline reporting experience.
He discussed the challenges journalists face in balancing operational restrictions with editorial independence and emphasised the importance of contextual, ethical and accurate reporting during conflicts.
Additional Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Ketan Baliram Patil, talked about reporting drug trafficking and organised crime, stressing accuracy, legal awareness and restraint while covering narcotics-related investigations to avoid compromising ongoing operations.
Similarly, Inspector General (Operations), CRPF, Gyanendra Kumar Verma, during his session talked about the role of media in conflict situations, citing India’s experience with Left Wing Extremism.
Gyanendra, who earlier served as IG CRPF, Kashmir also spoke about the influence of media narratives on public perception and highlighted the need for responsible reporting to counter misinformation and support long-term stabilisation efforts.
Besides, Judge Supreme Court of India, Justice Aravind Kumar addressed the participants and talked about the the constitutional and judicial dimensions of national security.
He discussed the balance between individual rights and executive powers while emphasising accountability, legality and institutional coordination in addressing evolving security challenges.
The workshop was designed to develop a professionally equipped pool of journalists capable of reporting on national security with greater depth, analytical rigour and ethical responsibility, contributing to informed public discourse on issues of national importance.
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