Music and Youth
74 proposals, only 8 community radio stations
NEW DELHI: Thirty-eight educational institutions have been issued letters of intent for community radio service, while 23 such organizations have signed a licence agreement with the government.
Till date, 74 applications for community radio service have been received by the information and broadcasting ministry, out of which 53 eligible ones have been referred to various government agencies for clearances.
Information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy told Lok Sabha (Lower House) on Thursday that the government approved a scheme for the grant of community broadcasting licenses to well established educational institutions, including universities in December, 2002.
Foreign investment in community radio venture is not allowed by the government.
Institutions that have started community radio broadcasting include Anna University, Chennai; Sri Namakula Vinayagar Engineering College, Pondicherry; India International Institute. of Management, Jaipur; Kongu Engineering College, Erode; MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai; Sunbeam English School, Varanasi; Vidya Pratisthan’s Institute of Information Technology, Baramati, Pune and City Montessori School, Lucknow.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
