Lok Sabha Question No. 4390 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-22
Subject: Setting up of Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI, CHANDU LAL SAHU, SANTOSH AHLAWAT, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH, VIRENDER KASHYAP, A.T. (NANA) PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4390

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2018)

## SETING UP OF COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

4390. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH SHRI VIRENDER KASHYAP SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- a) the guidelines for setting up of community radio stations in the country;
- b) the number of community radio stations operating in the country including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, State-wise;
- c) whether there are not even 500 community radio stations in the country even after one decade and if so, the reasons therefor;
- d) the  number  of  such  radio  stations  which  are  likely  to  be  set  up  in  the country during 2018-19, State-Wise;
- e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  further  simplification  of  the application process for setting up of such radio stations; and
- f) whether the Government has planned to strengthen the community radio station movement in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

- a) Policy Guidelines for establishing Community Radio (CR) stations in India, approved  in  2002  and  as  amended  in  2006  and  January,  2017  are available on Ministry's website www.mib.gov.in.
- b) At  present  there  are  214  operational  Community  Radio  stations  in  the country  including  Rajasthan,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand  and  Maharashtra. State-wise  list  of  the  number  of  operational  CR  stations  in  India  is annexed at 'A'.
- c) As  mentioned  above,  there  are  214  operational  CR  stations  in  the country. Setting up of CR station is a voluntary effort. All the applications,

for setting up of CR station, received in the Ministry are processed as per the  Policy  Guidelines.  The  processing  of  application  involves  obtaining mandatory clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Wireless  Planning  and  Coordination  Wing,  D/o  Telecommunications, Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  (in  respect  of  educational institutes),  Screening  Committee  and  Inter-Ministerial  Committee.  The completion  of  process  takes  time.  Lack  of  awareness/preparedness among  potential  organizations  also  contribute  to  setting  up  of  less number of CR stations.

- d) There  are  357  applicants  who  have  been  issued  Letters  of  Intent  (LoI) from the Ministry. Out of these, 87 applicants have signed GOPA with the Ministry. These applicants, subject to necessary clearances from Wireless Planning  &  Coordination  (WPC)  Wing  of  D/o  Telecommunications,  are eligible  to  set  up  a  CR  station.  State-wise  list  of  GOPA  holders  and  LoI holders is annexed at 'B'.
- e) & f) Ministry, in its effort to strengthen the Community Radio Movement in the country, simplified the process for application to set up Community Radio Station. Ministry also conducted workshops from time to time to create awareness among the stakeholders, provide guidance and support to  the  applicants.  To  promote  transparency  and  digitalization,  Ministry has also started www.broadcastseva.gov.in, an online portal.

*****

## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN PART (b) OF THE  LSUQ  NO.  4390  TO  BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2018

## State/UT wise list of number of operational Community Radio Stations in India

| Sr. No.           | STATE/ UT                   | NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL CRS   |
|-------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh              | 6                           |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh           | Nil                         |
| 3                 | Assam                       | 3                           |
| 4                 | Bihar                       | 6                           |
| 5                 | Chhattisgarh                | 3                           |
| 6                 | Goa                         | Nil                         |
| 7                 | Gujarat                     | 7                           |
| 8                 | Haryana                     | 9                           |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh            | 3                           |
| 10                | Jammu and Kashmir           | 1                           |
| 11                | Jharkhand                   | 1                           |
| 12                | Karnataka                   | 18                          |
| 13                | Kerala                      | 11                          |
| 14                | Madhya Pradesh              | 15                          |
| 15                | Maharashtra                 | 18                          |
| 16                | Manipur                     | 2                           |
| 17                | Meghalaya                   | Nil                         |
| 18                | Mizoram                     | Nil                         |
| 19                | Nagaland                    | Nil                         |
| 20                | Orissa                      | 10                          |
| 21                | Punjab                      | 5                           |
| 22                | Rajasthan                   | 9                           |
| 23                | Sikkim                      | Nil                         |
| 24                | Tamil Nadu                  | 30                          |
| 25                | Telangana                   | 9                           |
| 26                | Tripura                     | Nil                         |
| 27                | Uttarakhand                 | 9                           |
| 28                | Uttar Pradesh               | 23                          |
| 29                | West Bengal                 | 3                           |
| Union Territories | Union Territories           |                             |
| 30                | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Nil                         |
| 31                | Chandigarh                  | 3                           |
| 32                | NCT of Delhi                | 6                           |
| 33                | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      | Nil                         |
| 34                | Daman and Diu               | Nil                         |
| 35                | Lakshadweep                 | Nil                         |
| 36                | Puducherry                  | 4                           |
| GRAND TOTAL       | GRAND TOTAL                 | 214                         |

## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN PART (d) OF THE LSUQ  NO.  4390  TO  BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2018

## State/UT wise list of Letters of Intent (LoIs) Issued and GOPAs signed in India

| Sr. No.           | STATE/ UT                   | PERMISSIONS ISSUED   | GOPA Signed   |
|-------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------|---------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh              | 09                   | Nil           |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh           | 04                   | 01            |
| 3                 | Assam                       | 11                   | 01            |
| 4                 | Bihar                       | 23                   | 03            |
| 5                 | Chhattisgarh                | 16                   | 03            |
| 6                 | Goa                         | 01                   | 01            |
| 7                 | Gujarat                     | 09                   | 02            |
| 8                 | Haryana                     | 14                   | 08            |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh            | 06                   | 02            |
| 10                | Jammu and Kashmir           | 04                   | Nil           |
| 11                | Jharkhand                   | 06                   | 02            |
| 12                | Karnataka                   | 17                   | 03            |
| 13                | Kerala                      | 05                   | 01            |
| 14                | Madhya Pradesh              | 24                   | 07            |
| 15                | Maharashtra                 | 35                   | 14            |
| 16                | Manipur                     | 07                   | 02            |
| 17                | Meghalaya                   | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 18                | Mizoram                     | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 19                | Nagaland                    | 03                   | Nil           |
| 20                | Orissa                      | 33                   | 07            |
| 21                | Punjab                      | 08                   | 03            |
| 22                | Rajasthan                   | 24                   | 03            |
| 23                | Sikkim                      | 03                   | 01            |
| 24                | Tamil Nadu                  | 30                   | 08            |
| 25                | Telangana                   | 07                   | Nil           |
| 26                | Tripura                     | 03                   | 02            |
| 27                | Uttarakhand                 | 04                   | 01            |
| 28                | Uttar Pradesh               | 29                   | 08            |
| 29                | West Bengal                 | 18                   | 04            |
| Union Territories | Union Territories           |                      |               |
| 30                | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 01                   | Nil           |
| 31                | Chandigarh                  | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 32                | NCT of Delhi                | 03                   | Nil           |
| 33                | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 34                | Daman and Diu               | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 35                | Lakshadweep                 | Nil                  | Nil           |
| 36                | Puducherry                  | Nil                  | Nil           |
| GRAND TOTAL       | GRAND TOTAL                 | 357                  | 87            |