Lok Sabha Question No. 5333 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Regional Educational Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Dayanidhi Maran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5333

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2022)

REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL CHANNELS

## 5333. SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN:

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

- (a) the details of the steps taken by the Government  to  offer localized/regional educational channels;
- (b) the number of channels the Ministry proposes to start in Tamil to cover educational content;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  increase  the recruitment  of  staff  in  regional  centres  for  the  creation  of  new channels and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  strengthen  broadcast infrastructure  with  new  technologies  like  multi-language  options and  interactive  options  for  the  educational  channels,  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government will also provide educational channels in sign language for differently-abled students?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER  OF  YOUTH  AFFAIRS  &  SPORTS  (SHRI  ANURAG  SINGH THAKUR)

(a)  to  (c):  Prasar  Bharati  has  made  51  co-branded  educational  TV channels available to the viewers on 'DD FreeDish', a free-to-air DTH service, as per MoU signed with Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics [(BISAG(N)], Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India. These channels can be viewed across the country free of cost with the help of a small sized dish and set-top box, which does not require any mobile connectivity.

The  Government  has  extended  the  12  DTH  TV  Channels  for  School Education under PM eVIDYA One Class One Channel programme to 200 channels  as  per  the  Budget  announcement  2022  to  address  the local/regional needs and aspirations specially to disseminate educational e-Contents in regional languages.

In  addition,  Gyanvani,  a  Radio  educational  channel  of  Indira  Gandhi National  Open  University  (IGNOU),  is  also  made  available  by  Prasar Bharati on 'DD FreeDish' to the listeners.

(d):  It  is  a  constant  endeavor  of  Doordarshan  to  modernize/upgrade Doordarshan  infrastructure,  which,  inter  alia,  includes  digitalization; adoption of new technologies at par with industry standards; replacement  of  old/  outlived  equipment  and  their  up-gradation  etc. Schemes in  this  regard  are  formulated  from  time  to  time  depending upon availability of resources and inter-se priorities. (e): Programs in Indian Sign Language are already being telecast on 12 DTH TV Channels under PM eVIDYA-One Class, One Channel programme. These programmes are developed by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and National Institute of Open  Schooling  (NIOS)  in  collaboration  with  India  Sign  Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

Prasar Bharati also carries sign language bulletins for hearing impaired  persons  daily  on  its  DD  News  channel.  In  addition,  Prasar Bharati  also  telecasts  sign  language  versions  of  events  of  National importance on its channels.

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