Parliament Question: Supporting Community Radio Movement for local development

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 895 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2026) SUPPORTING COMMUNITY RADIO MOVEMENT FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT 895 SHRI UJJWAL DEORAO NIKAM: SHRI NARHARI AMIN: Will the Minister of Information and Broadcasting be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has assessed the impact of financial and technological support provided under the scheme for Supporting Community Radio Movement in India on outreach in rural, tribal and Left Wing Extremism-affected areas; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of steps taken to address operational challenges faced by Community Radio Stations; (d) whether any measures are being considered to enhance community participation and ensure the long-term viability of Community Radio as a tool for local development and social mobilisation; and (e) if so, the details thereof ?ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN) (a) to (e): The Government supports Community Radio Stations (CRSs) through financial assistance for procurement of broadcast and studio equipment, training and capacity-building programmes, technical handholding, and content development. It implements ‘Supporting Community Radio Movement in India’ scheme to strengthen existing and establish new CRSs. To provide technical support and facilitate capacity building of CRSs, the Government organizes national and regional sammelans in various parts of the country. The Government also supports Community Radio Stations through CBC by providing paid advertisement to empanelled Community Radio Stations for disseminating the government information. The Government regularly assesses the impact of financial and technological support under the scheme through periodic monitoring, utilisation reports, inspections and third-party evaluations. The scheme has enhanced the outreach of Community Radio Stations in rural, tribal and Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas through localised content, community participation and capacity building. At present, the number of community radio stations across the country is 560. The Government enhances community participation and ensures long-term viability of community radio for local development and social mobilization through nationwide awareness workshops in CR dark areas to promote policy and encourage new stations; National and Regional Sammelans for peer learning and collaboration; and National Community Radio Awards recognizing excellence in local culture promotion, innovative engagement, and sustainable models. As per policy guidelines, at least 50% of the content of Community Radio Stations is mandatorily generated with community participation, with at least half of such content focusing on women empowerment. The Government has also developed a content sharing platform on the NaViGate Bharat Portal to archive and share community radio content among the Community Radio Stations. It enables stations to upload and reuse quality programmes, creating a centralized repository of development and cultural content. ******