Lok Sabha Question No. 2777 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Community Radio Station
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2777 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2017)

## COMMUNITY RADIO STATION

## 2777. SHRI B.SRIRAMULU

Will the Minister of INFORMATION & BROADCASTING be pleased to state?

- (a) the salient features of the Community Radio Stations (CRSs) along with the details  of  guidelines  prepared,  criteria  fixed,  funding    provision  made  available  for setting up of CRS;
- (b)     the number of CRS functioning in the country, State/Union Territory- wise;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to set up more CRS in the  country, if so, the details thereof along with timeframe fixed for operationalising the same, location and State/Union Territory-wise including Karnataka, and if so, the details thereof; and;
- (d)        whether  the  Government  has taken note that many CRSs are   transmitting programmes illegally and if so, the details thereof along with the corrective measures taken/being taken in this regard including review of functioning of CRSs and if so the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- a) The salient features of Community Radio Stations are as follows:
- i)  Community  Radio  Stations  (CRSs)  can  be  set-up  by  Educational  Institutions, Agriculture Universities (SAUs), ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Registered Societies and Autonomous Bodies and Public Trusts registered under Societies Act or any other such act relevant for the purpose. Registration at the time of application should be at least three years old.
3. ii) Any individual, political Parties and their affiliate organisations; [including students, women's, trade unions and such other wings affiliated to these parties.], organisations operating with a motive to earn profit; organisations expressly banned by the Union and State Governments are not eligible for CRS.
4. iii) The CRS should be designed to serve a specific well defined local community.
5. iv)  It  should have an ownership and management structure that is reflective of the community that the CRS seeks to serve.
- v) Programmes for broadcast should be relevant to the educational, developmental, social and cultural needs of the community.

Permission to set up CRS is granted in accordance with Policy Guidelines for setting up of CRS in India, which are available on Ministry's website, www.mib.nic.in. CRS permission Holders are eligible to apply for financial assistance for purchase of equipment under the  Scheme,  'Supporting  Community  Radio  Movement  in  India'. Detailed guidelines for providing financial assistance to CRS are also available on Ministry's website, www.mib.nic.in.

(b)  At  present  206  CRS  are  functioning  in  the  country.  State/Union  Territory-wise details are at Annexure.

(c)  Grant  of  permission  to  organisations  to  set  up  Community  Radio  Stations  is  a continuous process. Eligible organizations can apply to set up CRS in any part of the country including Karnataka. Permission is granted, subject to fulfillment of eligibility criteria and receipt of clearances from Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing of Ministry of Communication & IT.

(d) The Permission Holder shall have to adhere to the provisions of the Programme and Advertising Code as prescribed for All India Radio. The functioning of State and District level Monitoring Committee has been enhanced to monitor private FM Radio Channels and Community Radio Stations. Complaints can also be sent to the Ministry of I&B. In the past, action has been taken by this Ministry against the CR stations wherever violations were established.

Review of the functioning of CRSs is a continuous exercise in the Ministry. Every year, a detailed report about operating CR Stations is brought out in the form of CR Compendium. So far, 5 editions of CR compendiums have been published which are available on Ministry's website www.mib.nic.in. An Inter Ministerial Committee has also been constituted to review the functioning of this sector. This Committee meets regularly and takes stock of the progress made and challenges being faced by the Community Radio Stations

. *********

## ANNEXURE

## Annexure as referred to in part (b) of the LSUSQ No. 2777 to be answered on 02.08.2017

## State/UT wise details of Operational Community Radio Station 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            | 2                           |
| 10                | Jammu and Kashmir           | 1                           |
| 11                | Jharkhand                   | 1                           |
| 12                | Karnataka                   | 17                          |
| 13                | Kerala                      | 10                          |
| 14                | Madhya Pradesh              | 15                          |
| 15                | Maharashtra                 | 17                          |
| 16                | Manipur                     | 1                           |
| 17                | Meghalaya                   | Nil                         |
| 18                | Mizoram                     | Nil                         |
| 19                | Nagaland                    | Nil                         |
| 20                | Orissa                      | 10                          |
| 21                | Punjab                      | 5                           |
| 22                | Rajasthan                   | 8                           |
| 23                | Sikkim                      | Nil                         |
| 24                | Tamil Nadu                  | 30                          |
| 25                | Telangana                   | 7                           |
| 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                 | 206                         |