13-member delegation visits IIT Madras, DakshinaChitra, Puducherry Raj Niwas, ICF and Chennai Port

Srinagar| Sept, 28: A 13-member media delegation from Jammu and Kashmir undertook a seven-day Press Information Bureau (PIB) Media Exposure Tour to Chennai and Puducherry, visiting key institutions and facilities covering education, heritage, governance, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare and sports.
The programme was organised by PIB Srinagar as part of its national media exposure initiative aimed at providing journalists an opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to institutions, development initiatives and sectors outside their respective regions.
The delegation comprised journalists from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir and was accompanied throughout the tour by officials. Shahid Mohammad Lone, Field Publicity Officer, Central Bureau of Communication, served as the Conducting Officer, while Ifham Ul Islam, Information Assistant, PIB Srinagar, accompanied the delegation.
The tour began in Chennai, where the delegation was received by the PIB Chennai team.
One of the first major visits was to DakshinaChitra at Muttukadu, a heritage museum showcasing traditional architecture and lifestyles from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Curator Lakuma Chebrolu briefed the delegation about the traditional structures preserved at the site and efforts being made to document and conserve cultural heritage.
The visit provided the journalists an opportunity to examine traditional community life and communication practices and draw comparisons with cultural traditions and heritage architecture in Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation subsequently visited the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where it interacted with IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti.
The interaction covered education, technology, innovation and research, besides opportunities available through various academic initiatives.
The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss possibilities for students from Jammu and Kashmir to access suitable educational programmes and initiatives at premier institutions.
The delegation later travelled to Puducherry, where members interacted with Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan at Raj Niwas.
The discussions covered development priorities and challenges, including infrastructure, connectivity, electricity, business conditions, tax concessions, healthcare and medical education.
The delegation was also briefed about Puducherry’s healthcare ecosystem, including its medical colleges and institutions such as the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER).
The visit provided the journalists an opportunity to examine development issues in another Union Territory and compare them with challenges relating to infrastructure, healthcare, education, employment and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir.
The exposure programme also included visits to major infrastructure and manufacturing facilities in Chennai.
At the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the delegation observed the manufacturing process of railway coaches, including modern Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, and received an overview of the engineering and production processes involved.
The delegation also visited Chennai Port, where it was briefed about maritime infrastructure, logistics, transportation and the role of ports in facilitating trade and economic activity.
An interaction with the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting was also part of the programme.
The delegation later attended the second season of the Tamil Nadu Premier Pickleball League at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai.
The sporting event, organised within a commercial mall, provided an example of using existing urban spaces for recreational and sporting activities. The visit also prompted discussions among the visiting journalists on the possibility of developing similar accessible sporting and recreational models in urban centres such as Srinagar.
The seven-day exposure programme concluded on September 19.
The participating journalists said the tour provided an opportunity to observe institutions and development initiatives first-hand and gain perspectives that could inform their future reporting.
The programme covered diverse themes ranging from preservation of cultural heritage and access to higher education to infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, maritime logistics and urban recreation.
The exposure also enabled the journalists to examine experiences from southern India through the perspective of Jammu and Kashmir and identify possible areas of relevance for the region.
The delegation returned to Srinagar with observations and story ideas emerging from the institutional visits and interactions during the tour.