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Varsity radio breaking new ground

NIWAI (RAJASTHAN): “Aapno Radio” at Banasthali Vidyapeeth – an all women’s university – here has added a new dimension to the community radio service by starting a live phone-in programme earlier this week for the rural listeners to help them in their multifarious activities and raise issues of their concern.

“This is FM Radio Banasthali on 90.4 MHz. Our guests on the opening day of phone-in programme are a doctor and an Anganwadi centre in-charge….,” said a cheerful student anchor at the radio studio functioning on the university campus since January 2005 under a pilot project in collaboration with UNICEF.

The transmission of the FM community radio – the first in the State run by an educational institution – reaches nearly 50 villages in the radius of 15 km. The programmes, prepared by the university faculty and student volunteer anchors as well as the village youths, focus on education, health, environment, agriculture and rural and community development.

UNICEF’s Country Representative in India, Cecilio Adorna, inaugurating the live phone-in programme at the Vidyapeeth’s Gyan Mandir Auditorium, praised the new initiative in abundance and described the FM radio as a “revolutionary process” breaking the stagnation in social sectors in the country.

“Experts giving their advice and answering to the queries of listeners in the new programme are an indication of a new phase of empowerment of the rural populace. I have no doubt that the villagers will make full use of the radio for finding solutions to their problems,” said Mr. Adorna while delivering his live message on the anchor’s request.

The radio’s transmission time has been extended from three hours to six hours daily to cater to information needs of the rural communities. A significant portion of the radio programmes comprises outdoor recordings done by village youth volunteers as part of the university’s extension activities.

Banasthali Vidyapeeth president Diwakar Shastri said the university would shortly constitute radio listeners’ clubs in the villages for facilitating small group discussions on the programmes being broadcast. The village volunteers will initiate discussion on the subject of programmes after the transmission is over and help the rural folk evolve consensus on the issues of their interest. Former Deputy Chief Ministers and Congress leaders Banwarilal Bairwa and Kamla said the community radio service was a proud addition to the great heritage of the 70-year-old institution established by Rajasthan’s first Chief Minister Hiralal Shastri. UNICEF’s State Representative Satish Kumar and Tonk Collector Onkar Singh were also present on the occasion.

Despite facing constraints of Government regulations, “Aapno Radio” expects to achieve new heights of communication revolution by raising local issues.

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Varsity radio breaking new ground

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