All India Radio most effective medium to educate rural masses

 With a view to popularise the importance of local governance and panchayati raj, the Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended the radio broadcast as most effective means for reaching out to the rural areas.

          The Commission in its sixth report, 'Local Governance', has laid stress on strengthening the "third tier of governance" by raising awareness about the local bodies and panchayati raj institution through effective media campaigns.

        "A multi-pronged approach using different modes of communication like the print media, visual media, electronic media, folk art and plays should be adopted to disseminate information and create awareness about panchayati raj," the Commission said in its report.

        "It should be ensured that there is a convergence in approach to achieve synergies and maximise reach," it added.
   
          Underscoring the importance of radio broadcast in the rural areas, the Commission headed by Veerappa Moily, said the visual media such as television has a limited utility on account of lack of rural electrification.
   
          Print medium is handicapped because of poor literacy in rural areas which is 59.4 per cent according to Census of India.
   
         "This underlines the importance of medium of propagation through radio broadcasting both in terms of reach, which is 99.13 per cent (All India Radio  reach) of local population, as well as cost involved," the Commission said.
   
         "In addition, this medium (radio) is not dependent on availability of electricity in rural areas," the Commission said.

         Nearly 56.5 per cent of rural households in the country have electricity connection, more so in states like Bihar (80.2 per cent), Jharkhand (90 per cent), Assam (83.5 per cent), Orissa (80.6 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (80.2 per cent) and West Bengal (79.7 per cent).

          The Commission advised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to "devise a mechanism" in consultation with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and other ministries concerned for effectively implementing the campaign.
   
         "Rural broadcasting should become a full-fledged independent activity of All India Radio. Its units should be based in districts and the broadcasts should be primarily in the local language," the Commission, in its report, said.
   
          The programmes aired should focus on issues related to agriculture, rural development, panchayati raj institutions, public health, sanitation and education, it said.
   
         "Local language broadcasts would be equally effective in case of both literates and illiterates," it said.

            The  Commission noted with satisfaction that Rural Development Ministry has already adopted this approach and is getting its programmes broadcast in 19 local languages and dialects, apart from Hindi and ten regional languages.
   
           The vision of third tier of government, content of panchayati raj legislations, democratic process involved, conduct of elections, nature and conduct of social audit, means of expression and redressal public grievances, use of Right To Information act, etc could be communicated "more effectively through the spoken word of local language", the commission said.

           It also underscored the emerging importance of community radios and cited the success of 'Chala Ho Gaon Mein' (Let's Go To The Village) aired in Jharkhand.
   
          The programme employs local dialect, a mix of Bhojpuri and Hindi and has been catering to more than seven million population in three districts of Palamu, Garhwa and Latehar and also adjoining districts in neighbouring states.