New Delhi, July 2: Senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Tariq Ahmed Rather has assumed charge as Director (Media & Communications) and Chief of Media & Communications in the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (DoSJE) under the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Rather, a Junior Administrative Grade (JAG) Group ‘A’ officer of the IIS, took charge at the Ministry’s headquarters in New Delhi following his transfer by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under an order issued on June 9, 2026.
He was welcomed by Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Sudhansh Pant, along with Joint Secretary Monika P. Dhakate, Director Narendra Vashishta, and other senior officials.
During the meeting, the Secretary underscored the importance of strengthening the Ministry’s media outreach through a comprehensive and result-oriented Media Action Plan to ensure wider dissemination of the Centre’s welfare schemes, programmes and initiatives across print, electronic, traditional, social and digital media platforms.
Before assuming his new role, Rather served as Director (News) and Head of the Regional News Unit (RNU), Akashvani Srinagar, from November 4, 2024, to June 12, 2026.
During his tenure at Akashvani Srinagar, he introduced several initiatives aimed at modernising news operations and enhancing public service broadcasting. These included the launch of an additional 10-minute daily Urdu news bulletin at 3:50 pm, which expanded the Regional News Unit’s daily news coverage.
