New Delhi: The Centre is likely to introduce a “social media code of conduct” for government officers, as the growing use of social media by government employees has prompted concerns over the nature of the content they share, particularly when it involves their official roles or is posted while on duty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior bureaucrats to explore the possibility of framing such a code, according to a Times of India report.
This comes at a time when several officers have been sharing personal reels, videos, stories and opinions on Instagram and other social media platforms with the aim of highlighting and glorifying their work, official positions and achievements.
Such conduct may not align with the standards of restraint and professionalism expected from government employees.
The proposal is significant as social media has increasingly become an extension of public-facing official communication, blurring the line between an officer’s personal online presence and their position in the government. A formal code could, therefore, lay down clearer expectations on how officials should conduct themselves on social media.
Meanwhile, during a recent interaction with secretaries, PM Modi also directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to launch the “One India” portal at the earliest. The proposed portal is envisioned as a unified service delivery platform aimed at providing citizens access to government services through a single platform.
The proposed “Ek Bharat” portal aims to make it easier for citizens to access different government services without having to visit multiple websites or remember separate usernames and passwords.
Once operational, the “Ek Bharat” portal is expected to provide citizens with a single username and password to access services across various government portals.
