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.
CP/GV