“The idea is to tell India’s story better,” a top official of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said.
“The programmes could include quiz shows, discussions and other entertainment and utility-oriented programmes, focusing on Indian culture and heritage,” the official added. “It will have a role in India’s global outreach and soft diplomacy.”
The project will be carried out by Indian missions in collaboration with Prasar Bharati, and the content aimed at the diaspora as well as foreigners, the I&B official said.
Highly-placed government sources told ThePrint that the I&B ministry has been in talks with the external affairs ministry to chalk out the modalities of the plan. A timeline for the project is only likely to be available once the broader framework is worked out.
To ‘check bias’
Community radio constitutes small-scale broadcasts that cater to a certain group with a common interest, for example, a university or an NGO.
Starting a community radio station in India requires a series of government clearances for physical infrastructure like transmitters, with the broadcast range restricted to 5 kilometres. However, community radio services transmitted via the internet will not need any permissions as they will be streamed over the web.
The stations planned by the Modi government would aim to project Brand India and the country’s achievements to the world.
They assume significance in light of the Modi government and BJP’s
The allegations resurfaced this month vis-a-vis the coverage of BBC, Reuters and other international media outlets on Kashmir amid the communication blackout imposed after the abrogation of Article 370.
Going global
The community radio stations are part of a broader push by the Modi government to take its message directly to the global audience, a task entrusted to the I&B ministry.
For example, PM Modi’s recent Independence Day speech was translated into 15 foreign languages by the All India Radio, including Japanese, Spanish and German.
From this month, Prasar Bharati aims to translate and broadcast PM’s monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat in several foreign languages.
The government also plans to launch ‘Doordarshan International’ for an international audience and project India prominently in film festivals.
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