I&B Ministry
No policy announcements, it’s simply ‘Mann ki Baat’
NEW DELHI: The Government has made it clear that the prime minister Narendra Modi’s monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast does not cover any public policy or announcements.
The minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in the Parliament that “Mann Ki Baat is a unique initiative of the prime minister to reach across to the masses through the Radio and connect with the common man on regular basis, inform them about the initiatives of the Government and seek their support in nation building and governance”.
He added that through this programme the Prime Minister has directly shared his concerns on issues affecting citizens of the country like cleanliness, saving the girl child, welfare of Divyangs, uprooting the menace of drugs and road rage etc. It also provides the listener an opportunity to suggest topics and issues faced by the common man and thus become a part of participative governance.
The prime minister has now made the broadcast for 26 months.
All India Radio has commenced the regional language broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ immediately after the Hindi broadcast is over.
AIR Director General Fayyaz Sheheryar told Indiantelevision.com’s sister concern Radioandmusic.com that this will be in addition to the broadcast on regional kendras that comes at 8.00 pm on the last Sunday of the month when the Prime Minister makes his broadcast. He said that AIR had advertised before this broadcast that listeners can catch the broadcast on the entire AIR network including medium wave and FM Gold and FM Rainbow.
In addition, the broadcast is carried live on Doordarshan National, DD News, DD Bharati, DD India and DD Kisan.
The broadcast can also be heard on the AIR Mobile App ‘All India Radio Live’ on Android, IOS and Windows and also give a missed call on 1922 to listen to the broadcast.
It is streamed live by pmonradio.nic.in, allindiaradio.gov.in, newsonair.nic.in, and youtube/user/akashvaniair.
It is also available free to all private television channels and FM channels. Letters can be sent on MyGov.in, and NarendraModi App.
Also read
PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’: AIR starts regional translation after Hindi
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
