Prasar Bharati

Prasar Bharati is an Indian state-owned public broadcaster. The headquarter of Prasar Bharati is in New Delhi. It is a statutory autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament and comprises the Doordarshan television broadcasting and Akashvani (All India Radio), which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Parliament of India passed the Prasar Bharati Act to grant this autonomy in 1990, but it was not enacted until 15 September 1997.

∆✓ Act
The Prasar Bharati Act provides for the establishment of a broadcasting corporation, to be known as Prasar Bharati, and define its composition, functions, and powers. The Act grants autonomy to All India Radio and to Doordarshan, both of which were previously under government control. The Act received the assent of the President of India 12 September 1990 after being unanimously passed by Parliament. It was finally implemented in November 1997. By the Prasar Bharati Act, all property, assets, debts, liabilities, payments of money due, as well as all suits and legal proceedings involving Akashvani (All India Radio) and Doordarshan were transferred to Prasar Bharati.
The organization started as All India Radio (AIR) in the past and Doordarshan (DD) was born to cater television services later and finally came Prasar Bharati by enactment of an act by the parliament.

∆✓ Composition
The Prasar Bharati Act vests the general superintendence, direction, and management of affairs of the Corporation in the Prasar Bharati Board which may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the corporation.

The Prasar Bharati Board consists of:-

• Chairman
• One Executive Member
• One Member (Finance)
• One Member (Personnel)
• Six Part-time Members
• Director-General (Akashvani), ex officio
• Director-General (Doordarshan), ex officio
• One representative of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), to be nominated by that Ministry, and
• Two representatives of the employees, of whom one shall be elected by the engineering staff from amongst themselves and one shall be elected by the other employee from amongst themselves.

The current chairman of Prasar Bharati is Navneet Kumar Sehgal.

The President of India appoints the chairman and the other members, except the ex officio members, nominated member and the elected members. Board meetings must be held at least once in every three months each year.

∆✓ Tenure
The Chairman is a Part Time Member with a three year tenure, subject to the age limit of 70 years. The Chief Executive Officer has a tenure of five years, subject to the age limit of 65 years. Member (Finance) and Member (Personnel) are Whole Time Members with a six year tenure, subject to the age limit of 62 years.

∆✓ Functions and Objectives of the Corporation

• *The main objective of the corporation is to educate, inform and entertain the public. By organizing and public broadcasting services, it has become easier to provide information to the people in an easy manner. It also ensures balanced development of broadcasting on radio and television.
• *Providing autonomy to AIR and Doordarshan to ensure work in a fair, purposeful and constructive manner.
• *To maintain the unity and integrity of the country.
• *To upload the democratic and social values enshrined in the Constitution.
• *To be informed freely, truthfully and impartially to protect the right of the citizen.
• *To spread literacy, agriculture, rural development, health, family welfare, environment, science and technology.
• *To encourage a sense of healthy competition and sportsmanship by providing adequate coverage to sports and games.
• *To promote the cultures and languages of different regions by broadcasting many programs.
• *Special programs should always be organized to meet the special needs of the youth.
• *Pay special attention to the upliftment of women to overcome the problems of women.
• *To take special steps for the protection of children, aged, blind, disabled and other weaker sections.
• *To protect the rights of the working class and to advance their welfare.
• *To provide suitable programs for the needs of minorities and tribal communities.
• *To promote national integration that will maintain the nation’s community language.
• *To promote the research and development activities of radio broadcasting and television broadcasting technology.

Source: Wikipedia, Prasar Bharati
Written By: – Rajat Ranjan