Lok Sabha Question No. 299 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi, Jaskaur Meena

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 299 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2023)

## COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

## 299. DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY: SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA:

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

- (a) the salient features of Community Radio Stations (CRSs);

(b) the details of funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized so far for setting up of these stations in the country, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan;

(c) the number of CRSs established in the country, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan;

(d) the number of CRSs being operated so far in the country, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan;

(e)  whether  the  Government  has  fixed  any  target  for  setting  up  of  these  stations especially in remote/ far flung areas of the country; and

(f)  if  so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING;

## AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

## [SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR]

- (a) The Salient feature of Community Radio Stations (CRSs) are as under:-
- (i) Community  Radio  Stations are low power FM  Radio  stations, having a broadcasting coverage in the range of 5-10 Kms.
- (ii) Permission  to  establish  Community  Radio  Station  (CRS)  in  India,  is  granted  to not-for-profit organisations. These include NGOs, educational institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), etc.
- (iii)The  Community  Radio  stations  provide  a  platform  to  the  community for broadcasting programmes  on local issues concerning health, nutrition, education, agriculture, etc.
- (iv) Community Radio stations are required to generate at least 50% of content with the participation of the local community.
- (b) The Community Radio stations are set up by the permission holders using their own funds. However, the Government provides financial assistance amounting upto Rs. 10.00 lakh (upto Rs. 12 lakh for CRS in North Eastern States) to Permission holders towards setting up of  infrastructure, once they  setup and  operationalise the  station  for at least 3 months. So far , a total of 119 CRSs have received financial assistance  amounting to Rs. 8.86  crores  towards  Infrastructure  for  CRS.  The  State/  UT  wise  details  of  CRS  are  as under:-

| Sr. No.   | Name of the State /UT   |   Number of Stations received Financial Assistance |
|-----------|-------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Arunachal Pradesh       |                                                  1 |
| 2         | Assam                   |                                                  1 |
| 3         | Bihar                   |                                                  2 |
| 4         | Chhattisgarh            |                                                  2 |
| 5         | Delhi                   |                                                  2 |
| 6         | Gujarat                 |                                                  3 |
| 7         | Haryana                 |                                                  6 |
| 8         | Himanchal Pradesh       |                                                  1 |
| 9         | J&K                     |                                                  1 |
| 10        | Karnataka               |                                                 10 |
| 11        | Kerala                  |                                                  6 |
| 12        | Ladakh                  |                                                  1 |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh          |                                                 11 |
| 14        | Maharashtra             |                                                 12 |
| 15        | Manipur                 |                                                  4 |
| 16        | Nagaland                |                                                  1 |
| 17        | Odisha                  |                                                  6 |
| 18        | Puducherry              |                                                  1 |
| 19        | Punjab                  |                                                  2 |
| 20        | Rajasthan               |                                                  7 |
| 21        | Sikkim                  |                                                  1 |
| 22        | Tamil Nadu              |                                                 10 |
| 23        | Telangana               |                                                  2 |
| 24        | Tripura                 |                                                  1 |
| 25        | Uttar Pradesh           |                                                 22 |
| 26        | Uttarakhand             |                                                  3 |
|           | Total                   |                                                119 |

(c)  and  (d) As  on  November,  2023  a  total  of  474  Community  Radio  Stations  are established/operational in  the  country.  Out  of  the  total  474  CRSs,  72  CRSs  are operational in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. List of Operational Community Radio Stations in the country is as under:-

| List of Community Radio Stations established/operated in the country, State/UT-wise   | List of Community Radio Stations established/operated in the country, State/UT-wise   | List of Community Radio Stations established/operated in the country, State/UT-wise   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                 | Name of States/UTs                                                                    | No. of Operational Community Radio Station                                            |
| 1.                                                                                    | Andaman and Nicobar Islands                                                           | 1                                                                                     |
| 2.                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                        | 11                                                                                    |
| 3.                                                                                    | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                     | 2                                                                                     |
| 4.                                                                                    | Assam                                                                                 | 5                                                                                     |
| 5.                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                 | 13                                                                                    |
| 6.                                                                                    | Chandigarh                                                                            | 5                                                                                     |
| 7.                                                                                    | Chhattisgarh                                                                          | 13                                                                                    |
| 8.                                                                                    | Delhi                                                                                 | 5                                                                                     |
| 9.                                                                                    | Gujarat                                                                               | 15                                                                                    |
| 10.                                                                                   | Haryana                                                                               | 22                                                                                    |
| 11.                                                                                   | Himachal Pradesh                                                                      | 7                                                                                     |
| 12.                                                                                   | Jammu and Kashmir                                                                     | 7                                                                                     |
| 13.                                                                                   | Jharkhand                                                                             | 3                                                                                     |
| 14.                                                                                   | Karnataka                                                                             | 25                                                                                    |
| 15.                                                                                   | Kerala                                                                                | 21                                                                                    |
| 16.                                                                                   | Ladakh                                                                                | 1                                                                                     |
| 17.                                                                                   | Madhya Pradesh                                                                        | 40                                                                                    |
| 18.                                                                                   | Maharashtra                                                                           | 50                                                                                    |
| 19.                                                                                   | Manipur                                                                               | 4                                                                                     |
| 20.                                                                                   | Meghalaya                                                                             | 1                                                                                     |
| 21.                                                                                   | Nagaland                                                                              | 1                                                                                     |
| 22.                                                                                   | Odisha                                                                                | 40                                                                                    |
| 23.                                                                                   | Puducherry                                                                            | 2                                                                                     |
| 24.                                                                                   | Punjab                                                                                | 9                                                                                     |
| 25.                                                                                   | Rajasthan                                                                             | 27                                                                                    |
| 26.                                                                                   | Sikkim                                                                                | 1                                                                                     |
| 27.                                                                                   | Tamil Nadu                                                                            | 45                                                                                    |
| 28.                                                                                   | Telangana                                                                             | 10                                                                                    |
| 29.                                                                                   | Tripura                                                                               | 1                                                                                     |
| 30.                                                                                   | Uttar Pradesh                                                                         | 58                                                                                    |
| 31.                                                                                   | Uttarakhand                                                                           | 15                                                                                    |
| 32.                                                                                   | West Bengal                                                                           | 14                                                                                    |
| Total                                                                                 | Total                                                                                 | 474                                                                                   |

(e)  and  (f) The  setting  up  of  Community  Radio  is  a  voluntary  activity  by  eligible organisations. To increase the number of CRS in the country, the Government has taken several  measures  including  provisioning  of  Financial  Assistance  for  infrastructure  and awareness workshops especially in Remote and far flung areas of the country. As a result, the number of CRS has grown from 140 in 2014 to 474 as of the November 2023 which is a growth of more than 300% in the sector.