Accreditation for PR Practitioners

All of us want that the practice of public relations should be viewed as a bonafide profession, which its own body of knowledge, skills and abilities. If we do not demonstrate this exclusivity now, we risk forever to be equated either with the fixers or the liaison men, with the unprofessionals, and unethical practices of untrained so-called PR agents, tainting the very image of this practice. I shall like to reiterate the history of accreditation for PR practitioners in our country. It was way back in 1988 that Mr. K.S. Neelakandan, the then Director PR of Pfizer Limited, Mumbai, took the initiative and created India Foundation for PR Education & Research (IFPR). This was a registered as a trust in Mumbai, and the Board of Trustees included Mr. K.R. Hattangdi (Union Carbide), Mr. Anil Basu (Good Year), Ms. Ronjona Mukarji (Tata Steel), Mr. K.R. Singh (the then incoming national President of PRSI), Mr. C.V. Narasimha Reddi (Hyderabad), Mr. Farrrok Mulla, Mr. S. Bashiruddin (Osmania University), Mr. P.K. Akerkar (the then President Elect of IPRA), and Mr. J.M. Kaul, with Mr. Neelakandan as the convenor. The IFPR started a programme for DPR and APR which involved written examination, interview, and presentation of the case study. The first examination was conducted in 1988 in Mumbai, and yours truly, happened to top the list for APR examination at that time, and the first lot of APRs in the country. I think it was 15 or so PR practitioners at that time who had taken up the examination. The next year the number grew still further, as counsellors were appointed all over the country. I had the good fortune of being appointed the Counsellor for Chandigarh in 1989. A number of orientation programmes were also organised one of which was held in Kathmandu, where PR professionals from different countries also participated. This initiative however fizzled out as it could not sustain itself. The proposed effort of PRCI now should not meet the same fate, and considering the growing PR activity in the region, we should not have much of a difficulty in getting corporate support. I suggest the formation of IIPR, as an independent body with representatives from different societies like PRCI, PRSI, IPRA, PRCAI, and ABCI, who should act as the study centres to prepare those PR practitioners who are willing to take up the APR examination.The detailed recommendations made to Mr.K.Srinivasan, who is heading the expert panel for establishing such an institute for accreditation, can be downloaded from www.prsi.in/publications.html.