In the midst of new channels focussing on rural India, the yeoman services of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) in spreading knowledge and information in the rural areas for many years can’t be easily forgotten.
In sync with its motto “Bahujan Hitaya Bahujan Sukhaya” AIR has been engaged with its rural audience for more than five decades reaching out to the farming and other communities, rural youth, children and women. Its Food and Home (F&H) unit broadcasts programmes every morning, afternoon and evening with average duration of 60 to 100 minutes in Hindi, 23 regional languages and 146 dialects – the last two produced by regional stations. The software aired is region specific and based on the agro-climatic zone it caters to with broad guidelines and advisories issued by headquarters.
“Designed to cater to the day-to-day seasonal needs of the farmers incorporating latest information and technology for best agricultural output, the shows are composite in nature with equal segments on rural development scheme and hardcore agriculture,” says Vijendra Sajwan, Programme Executive, AIR.
An array of subjects are dealt with including horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry and dairy farming, fisheries, forestry, environment conservation, food and agroprocessing, dry and wasteland agriculture, employment schemes, loan, insurance, training facilities, sanitation, health, hygiene and nutrition, etc. “Krishi Jagat”, “Gram Sansar” and phone-in slot are some programmes much appreciated by listeners.
Besides this, Kisanvani launched in February 2004, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, airs for 30 minutes through 96 local stations in regional language and local dialects six days a week. This comes under narrow casting, as the focus is on a target group pertaining to a specific region. The State-level agriculture officials are involved in programming to ensure this. Interactive in content it involves field-based recordings of farmers and studio dial-outs and dial- ins with experts and the farming community.
The phone-in programmes on regional and Kisanvani are very popular with queries received even after the slot timing is over. “Despite been off air, the questions are answered by experts in the studio and field,” comments Vijendra.
There have been repeated requests from listeners to increase the duration of Kisanvani, and its popularity can be gauged by the fact that there is a proposal by the Union Agriculture Ministry to broadcast it from all the AIR stations, which is awaiting sanction.
Equally up to the task of disseminating agricultural information is one of the longest running programmes of DD, Krishi Darshan, which commenced on January 26, 1967. It is aired on DD National from Monday to Friday for an hour. Some of its initiatives that have completed more than a decade include phone-in programmes, coverage of success stories and of crop seminars organised by agriculture universities and centres.
Additionally, the 15 regional kendras telecast programmes in local language for an hour and a half. A 30-minute slot in the national and regional kendra is in collaboration with the Agriculture Ministry.
