Bhubaneswar, August 23: Scientific and effective public relations should be a priority for every organisation, with PR professionals focusing on building strong relationships between institutions and the public, Additional Chief Secretary (Information & Public Relations) Hemanta Sharma said on Saturday.

Addressing the ‘Jan Sampark Sanman-2026’, organised by The Prameya and News7 at SOA Campus-II here as the chief guest, Sharma said PR professionals should possess a learning mindset, professional capability and creativity. He stressed that they should give greater priority to listening to the public rather than merely sharing information generated within their organisations.

“In the era of Artificial Intelligence, human intelligence will continue to remain relevant,” Sharma said.

He described public relations as a strategic tool that helps organisations and brands build relationships with stakeholders and the public, communicate effectively and drive positive change.

Sharma said PR professionals should carefully decide what information needs to reach the public. “Rather than focusing solely on sharing information from the organisation they work for, they should also give priority to listening to the public,” he said.

He also highlighted the difference between public relations and human relations, saying the latter involves greater closeness, attentive listening and the development of effective working relationships.

Sharma praised The Prameya and News7 for organising the event, saying such initiatives would encourage PR professionals to strive for greater excellence.

On the occasion, six PR professionals - Pradeep Kumar Behera of IMFA, Smrutiranjan Mishra of OCAC, Nigamananda Mishra of GAIL India, Bibhudatta Panigrahi of Paradeep Phosphates, Deepak Rout of East Coast Railway and Kahnu Charan Nayak of ODM Education Group - were felicitated.

Sashanka Patnaik and Balakrushna Panda were also honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Summa Real Media Private Ltd Director Saswati Das, CEO Sunil Das, Group Editor Gopalkrishna Mohapatra, Group Director (Sales & Marketing) Himanshu Hota and News7 Working Editor Debnarayan Sethy were also present at the event.