As a PR Department officer, Dr. Kamlesh Sharma has been promoting government schemes and handling VIP movements through various media. As an avid bird watcher and photographer, he captures photos of colourful birds. He has a PhD on ‘Holi of South Rajasthan’ strives to preserve art and culture of Rajasthan.

Dr. Kamlesh Sharma is a Joint Director in the Information and Public Relations Department in Udaipur. His principal responsibilities include publicising government projects and policies, and covering VIP moments. He sends details of government decisions and programmes to print and electronic media.

He explains that the Information and Public Relations Department's name itself indicates that it is responsible for compiling news from the media, spreading information and handling public relations of the government. This department serves as a liaison point between the government and the general public. The government's initiatives reach the people through this department, which serves as a bridge between the government and the general public, he says.

Describing how he came into the field of journalism, Dr. Kamlesh states that he began his career as a teacher and used to read many people's bylined pieces. He then became interested in sending articles and community information to newspapers. While doing STC, he started sending news and articles about his village's problems to a small weekly newspaper. He gradually began writing essays on cultural topics, which were published in various Rajasthani periodicals, as well as in the Kadambini magazine. This encouraged him a lot, and he continued to contribute essays every day on various problems and topics, with a particular focus on art and culture, given his position in the government sector at that time.

Recalling his enthusiasm at that time, Dr. Kamlesh remembers that when he was stationed in Dungarpur in 2005, he met forest department officers and began visiting the forests with them. He used to spend his Saturdays and Sundays with the DFO, Shri O.C. Chandel, and was able to explore all the forests. On his visits to the forests, he used to take photographs with his camera and grew interested in capturing photos of multicoloured birds. He developed an interest in bird watching, and learnt photography on his own without any formal training. Initially, he acquired a digital camera from Kuwait to do photography, and then gradually purchased further equipment and began doing wildlife photography professionally.

Dr. Kamlesh also mentions that when migratory birds came there, he had the opportunity to capture their photos while watching them. During the winters, he used to visit local reservoirs and photograph the birds coming there. He considers himself extremely lucky as there are several tiny lakes and ponds in the Mewar-Vagad region where these birds spend the four winter months. He adds there are many similar events in bird photography, and it requires a lot of patience.

He recounts an event in which he was driving towards Sagwada and noticed a woolly-necked stork (bird) perched on an electric pole, prompting him to photograph it. Soon after, a short circuit struck the pole, causing the bird to fly while he photographed it. As a result, he was able to capture a striking shot of the bird in the middle of flames which became well-known as Burning Bird, and also won an award. He frequently photographs images that are memorable and form part of his collection.

Dr. Kamlesh Sharma shares that, in the beginning,  he experienced many difficulties in journalism because he was from a small town, and used to submit little pieces for publication to Jaipur and to other states too. At the time, he had to send a blank postage-stamped envelope along with the articles, and if they were not published, the article was returned in that envelope. His father used to tell him that why was he squandering his time and money, which made him feel demotivated at times. However, he was confident that, someday, whatever he was doing, would be successful.

Dr. Kamlesh was born in Sajjangarh, a large village in the Banswara district, where his father worked as a teacher. Then he moved to Barodiya village and finished his studies there. After finishing twelfth grade, he joined STC and instantly secured a position as a third-grade teacher. After that, he pursued a BA (private) and a PG in Hindi and English. He also completed B.Ed and BJMC to qualify for journalism. Based on his BJMC, he was given an opportunity and was selected for PRO.

Dr. Kamlesh believes in the saying "Na Dainyam, Na Palayanam" by Atal Bihari Vajpai whom he considers his role model. The saying means that “I will neither beg nor flee”. He follows this course and believes that he can conquer all obstacles.

He is inspired and motivated by the quote: "Mumkin nahi ke mile har jagah khushk zameen, pyase jo nikal pade hain toh dariya bhi mil jayega." He argues that if you labour in one particular direction, you will undoubtedly achieve success.

In terms of accomplishments, Dr. Sharma states that he first worked for nine years as a schoolteacher, and that at the time, his father, who is his role model, used to paint and he followed him. Whichever schools he worked in, he personally painted their sign boards or school names, demonstrating his accomplishments as a teacher. When he became a PRO, he had two quarters built behind the information centre at the Dungarpur District Headquarters. He has also completed the task of binding all newspapers from 1978 to the present, and he has an extensive archive that will be valuable to many people.

Dr. Kamlesh Sharma says that it is frequently seen that for various sorts of tasks, we want historical references such as news published in newspapers, and if we have them available in the information centre, it is beneficial to many people. He says the Information Centre's reading room has a capacity of 120 persons, and Choksi Enterprises recently contributed modular furniture worth 17 lakhs for the centre. Apart from that, an open theatre behind the information centre, where a song from the film Guide was filmed, has been refurbished for Rs 50 lakhs with the assistance of the UIT. The UIT designed this open theatre after Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur.

Dr. Kamlesh says he is interested in literature and culture, and he completed his PhD on ‘Holi in South Rajasthan’. As a result, his primary priority has always been the preservation and promotion of our art and culture. With the assistance of the Kashti Foundation, he is working to preserve art and culture while also providing a platform for hidden artists. He has organised several artist shows at the Information Center's art gallery. He also organises several seminars to promote art and culture, and plans to continue doing so in future. On the other hand, the information centre's reading room has been opened for students in the form of a library where they may study effectively in order to further their careers. Many students who previously studied in this library currently hold renowned jobs such as RAS and IAS officers.

When asked about his struggles, Dr. Kamlesh states that he had to face many challenges and tough situations while working, which he does not want to talk about now.

Dr. Kamlesh encourages budding journalists that if they read properly, they will be able to write effectively. He claims that only those with a solid foundation of knowledge will be able to write effectively. He says that any topic or subject you wish to write about, you must first properly research it and then write accordingly.

Furthermore, he says that if you want to work for the government as a media professional, the Information and Public Relations department is a good fit. For this, you should strive to get good experience in journalism, have a positive attitude towards the field, and write and read positive things so that your vision aligns with the purpose and vision of the Information and Public Relations Department of the government.