I&B Ministry: 100 days report card...

At a press meet called to present the I&B Ministry's 100-day report card, captain aboard the ship, Prakash Javadekar highlighted few initiatives undertaken to strengthen the state of broadcasting industry of our country. These initiatives have not only helped woo the broadcasting industry but also enhanced the people’s participation and government’s presence on the social media platforms.

Some of the initiatives that the entire broadcasting ministry has witnessed off-lately and the points underlined by Mr Javdekar are: The Launch of Kisan TV, wherein the government allocated 100 Cr; Establishment of Social Media Presence of Government of India wherein govt. organised a half day training workshop on July 11, 2014 at the National Media Centre; Third and fourth phases of Digitisation which will cover about eight crore cable TV homes in India hence enabling the dream of a Digital India; A fast lane to Community Radio movement in the country wherein the government had allotted Rs 100 crore for “Supporting Community Radio Movement in India” which enabled setting up of 600 community radio stations across the country in the 12th Five-Year Plan and a lot more.

Also stressing upon the plans going forward, Javdekar also mentioned that the government is launching a new 24x7 channel for the northeast called Arun Prabha in order to provide a strong platform for expression of cultural identities and for creating greater awareness regarding the region.

Also, he said that the government will encourage operation of indigenous set-top boxes (STBs) for Phases III and IV of digital addressable system (DAS). The minister had held a meeting with Indian STB manufacturers to discuss ways in which indigenous production of STBs can be incentivised.