I&B Ministry
Over Rs 400 crore spent on Bharat Nirman campaign in three years
NEW DELHI: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) spent a total amount of Rs 411.91 crore between 2011-12 and 2014-15 through the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to publicise Bharat Nirmal programmes.
The amount spent in 2014-15 was only Rs 32.23 crore as against Rs 188.88 crore for the previous year. The amount spent in 2011-12 was Rs 87.78 crore and that in 2012-13 was Rs 103.02 crore.
I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar told the Lok Sabha today that there was no plan at present to undertake any campaign under the umbrella of Bharat Nirman.
The promotion through I&B Ministry was part of the media outreach strategy under the plan sub-scheme titled “People’s Empowerment through Development Communication Conception and Dissemination” by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.
While a sum of Rs 48 crore was spent covering 6444 newspapers and Rs 96.19 crore was spent on 125 television channels in 2013-14, no campaign was launched in 2014-15 as the Model Conduct had come into force in view of the General Elections in May.
I&B Ministry sources said that the amount of Rs 32.23 crore for 2014-15 related to old bills.
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.
