Electronic Media

An intensive IEC campaign over the Electronic Media (Radio and TV) was
undertaken through Prasar Bharati for optimum dissemination of information
on rural development programmes. In order to meet the area and region
specific communication needs of Rural Development Programmes, half an hour
audio and video programmes were produced and broadcast/telecast over local and primary stations of All Programmes of the Ministry, workshops at the national level in Delhi and also at regional levels were held during the year before the production of audio visual software. In addition to the Programmes and spots produced and broadcast through Prasar Bharati during the year, the Ministry continued to sponsor a weekly magazine format radio Programme ‘Jage Jan Jan Jage Gaon’ over Vividh Bharati Stations of AIR. The Programme is produced in Hindi and 12 regional languages and broadcast every Friday from 7.45 to 8.00 PM over 39 Commercial Broadcasting Stations. The broadcast of another weekly radio Programme of
thirty minute duration based on folk music over Primary and Local Radio Stations of AIR is also to start shortly. The Programme would be field based and produced in regional languages besides major dialects of Hindi, to meet the region specific communication needs relating to Rural Development Programmes.


The broadcast of Programmes and spots over regional kendras of Doordarshan and
primary and local radio stations of AIR is largely intended to meet the communication needs of the target groups in rural areas. In order to sensitize the opinion makers, urban elites and corporate bodies etc about issues relating to rural development and to facilitate their participation in the development process, weekly Programmes to be telecast over News and Current Affairs channel of Doordarshan were produced. Also to address the international community and to project the resurgent rural India in proper perspective, weekly Programmes were produced and telecast over DD (International).

In addition to the intensive IEC campaign through the print and electronic media , the Action
Plan also envisages utilization of the other modes of conventional and non conventional
Communication for disseminating information on Rural Development
Programmes. The Song & Drama Division, media unit of Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, disseminates information on evelopment issues, among target groups
through the medium of performing arts, raditional arts, puppet shows, folk media,
mythological recitals and the like. As the edium of transmission is rooted in the
local ethos and traditions, the evelopmental messages are more easily rasped by the target groups. During the ear, from the financial assistance provided
by the Ministry, the Song & Drama Division resented Programmes through their field
units on the themes of the Programmes of he Ministry.

During the year Ministry participated in the epublic Day Parade 2002 with a tableau on the
theme of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana. he Ministry also took part in the India International rade Fair and set up a pavilion ‘Saras’ where poducts made by rural artisans from all over the ountry were displayed to provide them with maketing support and exposure to national andinternational buyers.

For meeting expenditure on IEC activities, the IEC Division utilizes budgetary allocations provided under the Communication Cell in the Department of Rural Development. In addition, the allocations provided for IEC activities under different Programmes in all the three Departments viz Department of Rural Development, Department of Drinking Water and Department of Land Resources are pooled together and utilized by the IEC Division for undertaking IEC activities in respect of all the Programmes in a holistic manner. Though as per BE 2001-2002, the total allocations available for IEC activities is only Rs.22.50 crore, the expenditure likely to be incurred on IEC activities during the year, on account of intensive IEC campaign, would be around Rs.75 crore. The expenditure in excess of the budgetary allocations are proposed to be met out of the savings available under different Programmes.