**Executive Summary**
This document answers Unstarred Question No. 740 in Lok Sabha, addressing the government's support for the Community Radio Movement in India. The response, provided by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, outlines financial and technological assistance provided to Community Radio Stations (CRSs) across India, including those in rural, tribal, and LWE-affected areas. The question was to be answered on February 4, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Support for CRSs:**
* Financial assistance is provided for equipment procurement, training, technical support, and content development.
* The "Supporting Community Radio Movement in India" scheme aims to strengthen existing and establish new CRSs.
* National and regional sammelans are organized to provide technical support and facilitate capacity building.
* **Madhya Pradesh CRS Support:**
* 17 CRSs in Madhya Pradesh have received financial grants from the Ministry.
* No financial assistance proposal has been received from any CRS in Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh.
* **Scheme Assessment & Impact:**
* The government regularly assesses the impact of the financial and technological support through monitoring, utilization reports, inspections, and third-party evaluations.
* The scheme has enhanced the outreach of CRSs in rural, tribal, and LWE-affected areas.
* **Content Policy:**
* At least 50% of CRS content must be generated with community participation.
* At least half of the community-generated content must focus on women empowerment.
**Impact Analysis**
**CRSs (Community Radio Stations)**
* **Impact:** Receives financial and technical support from the government to improve broadcast capabilities, content, and overall sustainability. This allows CRSs to better serve their communities.
* **Action Required:** CRSs need to continue adhering to the content guidelines, particularly regarding community participation and women's empowerment.
**Communities in Rural, Tribal, and LWE-affected Areas**
* **Impact:** Benefits from enhanced community radio outreach, localized content, and increased community participation, leading to improved access to information and community mobilization.
* **Action Required:** No direct action is required; however, communities can participate in content generation and engage with their local CRSs.
**Ministry of Information and Broadcasting**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and monitoring the "Supporting Community Radio Movement in India" scheme, including financial support, impact assessments, and policy enforcement.
* **Action Required:** Continue supporting CRSs, assessing the scheme's impact, and ensuring compliance with content policies.
Key Entities Referenced
Supporting Community Radio Movement in India: A government scheme focused on strengthening existing and establishing new Community Radio Stations (CRSs) by providing financial assistance, training, and capacity-building programs.
Community Radio Stations (CRSs): Radio stations operating at the local level with community participation and content focusing on local issues and development.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: The primary government body responsible for administering the 'Supporting Community Radio Movement in India' scheme.
Madhya Pradesh: The state specifically mentioned as having received support for 17 CRSs through the scheme.
Chhindwara district: District within Madhya Pradesh; specifically named as a location of interest regarding the impact and challenges faced by Community Radio Stations (CRSs).
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 740
(TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026)
SUPPORTING COMMUNITY RADIO MOVEMENT IN INDIA:
740 SMT. MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH:
SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:
SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SHRI RAJESH NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA:
SHRI ANANTA NAYAK:
SHRI BUNTY VIVEK SAHU:
SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI:
SHRI MAHESH KASHYAP:
SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG:
Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:
(a) Whether the 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, State and district-wise, particularly in Chhindwara district of
Madhya Pradesh;
(c) the steps being taken by the Government to address the challenges related to broadcasting,
financial resources, human resources and technical operations faced by the Community Radio
Stations particularly operating in Chhindwara and surrounding tribal-dominated areas;
(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 by increasing the participation of local youth, women’s groups and voluntarily
organisations; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?ANSWER
THE 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 a scheme called ‘Supporting
Community Radio Movement in India’ 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.
In Madhya Pradesh, 17 CRSs have been supported through financial grants by the ministry. No
proposal for financial assistance has been received in this Ministry from any CRS in
Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh.
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.
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.
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