NEW DELHI: A day after airing his views on abolition of his own Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has said the government should not exercise control over media which should have its own mechanisms for this.

Addressing members of Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC), he also said: the biggest challenge for Prasar Bharti was how Doordarshan becomes the first choice for the viewer.

“In whichever model it works, we'll choose that. We have given autonomy but result should also come," he said. 

Noting that freedom of press was the result of a long struggle, the Minister also stressed upon responsibility of the media.

The government is in favour of infrastructure augmentation in border areas where people get to hear the propaganda of other countries but the voice of Indian government at times does not reach. 

Javadekar said while answering a question that social media fell under the Information Technology Act which was not administered by his Ministry, but added that the freedom afforded by social media should be used responsibly. He said misuse of social media to create tensions in society is condemnable and should not happen.

At one stage, Javadekar mentioned that his father had worked in a publication and that he had been a member of the Press Council which is often called a "toothless wonder". 

Javadekar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had encouraged his ministers to be innovative. He said one innovative practice that the I&B and Environment ministries, which are both under him, will start is regarding advertisements they issue.

He said it had been decided that people would be asked to provide ideas and designs for advertisements and the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity will only release them. "We will recognise and award the good designs that are selected," he concluded.