(a) whether the Government has recently ordered mandatory telecast/broadcast of Sanskrit news in all regional channels of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR);
(b) if so, the details and the objectives thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
(c) the details about the viewership for Sanskrit news in the regional channels/stations of Doordarshan and AIR, State/UT-wise?
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*68 FOR ANSWER ON 05.02.2021
(a) & (b): Prasar Bharati as a public service broadcaster has a mandate to promote all Indian languages and accordingly, broadcasts programmes and news in these languages. To fulfil this policy, All India Radio has been broadcasting Sanskrit news bulletin daily on its network across the country since 1974. These are now available on more than hundred stations of All India Radio. A weekly news magazine programme called “Sanskrit Saptahiki” has also been started from 4th July, 2020.
Similarly, Doordarshan channels are also telecasting Sanskrit news bulletin “Vaarta” (daily) and Sanskrit news magazine “Vaartavali” (weekly).
(c): TV Viewership data for Sanskrit News (Vaarta) telecast on Doordarshan channels is placed at Annexure A.
No data is available for Terrestrial/Satellite Medium Wave Radio Listenership presently..
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