Port Blair: The stories of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands—from their rich cultural heritage and traditions to their tourism potential and unique local achievements—could soon find a wider national audience, with young islanders being encouraged to tell them through the lens of digital storytelling.
The Gems of India Challenge, a nationwide initiative to discover and encourage grassroots creators, received an enthusiastic response during a special workshop organised recently at Andaman Law College, Sri Vijaya Puram, as the campaign entered its extended phase.
A large number of students participated in the workshop, reflecting growing interest among young people in documenting and creatively showcasing the distinctive identity and untold stories of their communities through digital media.
The programme was attended by the Principal of Andaman Law College, Prof. (Dr.) P.V. Nagendra Sarma, Neerja Gupta, ADP and Nodal Officer for the Gems of India Challenge, representatives of WAVES OTT, and officials and staff of the Department of Information, Publicity & Tourism.
Addressing the students, Ms. Gupta urged them to actively participate in the challenge and explore the Islands’ distinctive traditions, heritage, achievements and stories. She encouraged them to transform these local narratives into engaging short digital videos.
A souvenir commemorating the Gems of India Challenge was also launched by the dignitaries during the programme.
Implemented through the MyWAVES citizen creator platform under the WAVES OTT ecosystem, the challenge invites creators to produce engaging videos of one to three minutes highlighting the identity, culture and stories of India’s districts.
The initiative seeks to strengthen India’s grassroots creator ecosystem while encouraging young people to become storytellers of their own communities. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is among the regions covered under the pilot phase, offering local creators an opportunity to take the Islands’ stories to audiences across the country.
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Adding momentum to the campaign, Doordarshan Sri Vijaya Puram has launched a new programme titled “Bas Ek Minute”, providing an additional platform for short-format storytelling and helping sustain awareness and participation in the challenge.
