New Delhi, 21 April (HS): The reintroduction of Doordarshan's old 'orange' emblem is only the beginning. If the Narendra Modi administration wins a third term in the next Lok Sabha elections, it intends to make several changes and reforms at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and Prasar Bharati, according to sources. DD India will become a global brand with bureaus in 15 countries, Prasar Bharati's SHABD portal will become a global news agency by onboarding over 1000 media entities, including foreign outlets, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub will be established in the MIB, and a Bharat NAMAN portal will be launched to provide common citizens with access to archival material and media.
A 'Global Media and Entertainment Summit' is planned, as is an expansion of the 'PIB Fact-Check Unit' across areas to combat 'fake news'. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) may provide a Masters Programme. All of this is part of a 100-day and five-year plan for 'Modi 3.0' being developed by ministries on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Doordarshan's switch from blue to orange logo sparked uproar. This was Indira Gandhi's initial hue choice for the channel in 1982, and it has been reinstated, according to the BJP. The opposition claims it is a breach of the electoral code. According to reports, Prasar Bharati's primary goal is to strengthen India's soft power and explain the overseas imprint of Indian television and Indian filmmaking.
This includes making DD India and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) worldwide brands. The government also intends to expand 'DD Free Dish' to surrounding nations and boost the amount of channels available through it. The recently created SHABD will be developed as India's worldwide news agency by partnering with over 1,000 media outlets, including international ones. The audio-visual network 'SHABD' was created to give subscribers with daily news feeds in video, audio, text, photo, and other forms from the media landscape, and it is driven by Prasar Bharati's extensive network of reporters, correspondents, and stringers across India. The IIMC might create a Masters Course, and the Broadcasting Services Bill could be introduced in Cabinet to provide a legal framework for the sector.
The administration also intends to launch the 500th community radio station in Aizwal within the first 100 days of the Modi government. According to insiders, Modi 3.0's other key initiatives are 'Jan Samvad' and 'Bharat NAMAN'. This will feature an AI Hub in the MIB for real-time translation, dubbing, and subtitling, as well as AI-based content development, and the National Video Gateway, which will serve as a repository of free video for public usage. The 'Bharat NAMAN' will be built as a national archive and media access platform for citizens, with the on-boarding of books, photographs, and famous documents in several languages. According to insiders, efforts would be made to monetize the content by providing access to filmmakers and producers for commercial usage.
Hindusthan Samachar/Abhishek Awasthi/Manoj