Kollam: Recognising the growing influence of social media on the public, the Kerala government has decided to bring vloggers into the fold for its public relations efforts. Under the Department of Information and Public Relations, the government is inviting applications to form a panel of subject-specific vloggers who will help communicate Kerala’s development stories to the masses.

“If the progress of Kerala is your passion, then this opportunity is for you!” the call for applications boldly declares.

With elections on the horizon, this move is widely seen as part of the government’s strategy to amplify its achievements through popular online voices. Only vloggers with a minimum of 3,00,000 followers will be considered. In addition, candidates must have at least 10 million in total reach across platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

To apply, one must submit a letter of consent to create topic-based content, proof of follower count, sample content links and personal details. There are no age restrictions, but applicants must be independent content creators using their own production setups. They should also be willing to produce high-quality content as per the department’s requirements.

Applicants may submit content in either Malayalam or English—as long as it's creative and compelling. Importantly, candidates must have uploaded at least three videos with substantial reach in the past six months.

However, there are clear disqualifiers. Vloggers who have gained popularity through defamatory content, controversial remarks or those involved in criminal cases need not apply.

The last date for submission is August 13.