Minister for Information & Broadcasting Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that All India Radio as a medium of communication had played a significant role, providing tireless service to millions of Indians during natural disasters like Hud Hud cyclone, devastating floods in Tamil Nadu and Kashmir deluge. It was the reach and impact of All India Radio for which the Hon’ble Prime Minister chose this medium for ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme to reach out to people. The Minister mentioned this today, while delivering his address at the Akashwani Annual Awards Ceremony at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting was also present on the occasion.Speaking on the occasion, Shri Naidu said that All India Radio had played a larger global role commensurate with India’s growing international stature and active participation in different international forums like BRICS. AIR, through its external broadcast in 15 foreign and 12 Indian languages, served as India’s authentic voice to the outside world and projected India’s viewpoint on contemporary issues in the right perspective.
Elaborating further about the achievements of All India Radio, Shri Naidu said that All India Radio had excelled in the domain of content creation, technical innovation, news gathering and intrepid reporting despite odds and challenges. In the era of unbridled and cut throat melee for dishing out sensational uncorroborated news to boost TRPs, All India Radio stands alone for its objective reporting and admirable presentation. With changing Technology, AIR has also reinvented itself through its Digital Radio Mondiale, live streaming of services and Mobile App. Shri Naidu also complimented AIR for its creative and innovative programmes like “Sandesh 2 Soldiers”, “Post Box No. 111” which got millions of Diwali greetings and best wishes for our soldiers from citizens across the country.
‘Akashvani Annual Awards’ has been an annual feature since 1974 and it remains one of the most prestigious and old awards in the arena of Public Service Broadcasting in India. All India Radio has instituted these awards in the memory of those amongst its staff who laid their lives while waging relentless counter offensive through the medium of broadcasting against the forces inimical to the integrity and unity of India. There are host of awards for different categories of programme namely plays, documentaries, musical production, children’s choral singing, Lassa Kaul Award for National Integration, Yuva Vani, Innovative Programme, Programmes on Farm & Home. There was also Dr. Rajendra Kumar Talib Award for best CBS centre to motivate them to excel, judging their performance on different parameters.