Description

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Picture Courtesy: PIB

Context:

World Television Day, observed every year on 21 November, commemorates the United Nations’ 1996 resolution recognising television as a critical medium for information, education, public opinion, and global understanding.

Must Read: NEW GUIDELINES FOR TV CHANNELS | TRP POLICY |

Key highlights:

India’s television network reaches 900 million viewers across 230 million households.
918 private satellite channels operational as of March 2025.
5 crore households connected through DD Free Dish, strengthening free digital access.

Evolution of Television in India:

Experimental beginnings (1959–1965)

Television started on 15 September 1959 as an educational experiment by All India Radio in partnership with UNESCO.

Limited to Delhi region
Focus on school lessons, rural development, and community learning
This laid the foundation for using television as a development communication tool.

Expansion and Institutionalisation (1965–1982)

Regular broadcasts began in 1965, transforming the medium into a national public broadcasting service. Key developments:

Establishment of centres in Mumbai, Srinagar, Amritsar, Calcutta, and Chennai
Diversification into education, public information, and regional content
Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE), 1975–76: ISRO–NASA collaboration delivering educational content to 2,400 villages in six states, one of the world’s largest satellite education experiments.

By the early 1980s, the institutional structure of Doordarshan was firmly in place, supported by an expanding regional network.

Colour Broadcasting and National Reach (1982–1990)

The advent of colour TV during the 1982 Asian Games accelerated the medium’s growth.

Nationwide expansion of terrestrial transmitters
Doordarshan’s coverage reached 70% of the population and 80% of the geographical area by 1990
Regional Doordarshan Kendras strengthened linguistic diversity and local content creation

Liberalisation and Satellite Television Era (1991–2011)

Economic reforms brought private players such as Star TV (1991), Zee TV (1992), and Sony (1995), reshaping the entertainment and news ecosystem.

Doordarshan simultaneously expanded with channels like DD National, DD Metro, DD News, and DD India. A major milestone was:

DD Direct Plus (2004) – India’s first free-to-air DTH service, enabling affordable satellite connectivity in remote regions.

The Prasar Bharati Act (1990) came into full effect in 1997, granting autonomy to India’s public service broadcasters.

Prashar Bharati Act

The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 is the law that established Prasar Bharati, India’s autonomous public service broadcasting corporation. Although enacted in 1990, the Act came into full force on 23 November 1997, when Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) were formally brought under Prasar Bharati.

Key Features of the Prasar Bharati Act:

·The Act provides for the creation of the Prasar Bharati Corporation, a statutory autonomous body responsible for governing Doordarshan and All India Radio, functioning in the public interest while remaining independent of direct government control.

·The mandate of Prasar Bharati requires it to uphold the unity and integrity of the nation, safeguard citizens’ right to be informed, and provide programmes that reflect India’s cultural, linguistic, and regional diversity. It is obligated to promote education, literacy, agriculture, rural development, and family welfare

·The Act establishes a clear governance structure through the Prasar Bharati Board, consisting of a Chairperson, an Executive Member, a Member (Finance), a Member (Personnel), six part-time Members, the Director-General of Doordarshan, the Director-General of All India Radio, two representatives of the employees, and a representative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting without voting rights. To ensure autonomy, board members are appointed by a Selection Committee headed by the Vice-President of India.

·The Act stresses editorial independence, mandating non-partisan, objective, and fair dissemination of news and explicitly discouraging political influence in programming decisions.

Digital Transition and Modern Television (2012–Present)

The Cable TV Digitisation Programme (2012–2017) boosted picture quality, increased channel choices, and improved regulation.
DD Free Dish became India’s largest free-to-air DTH service, reaching 50 million households in 2024 and 5 crore in 2025.
Television today remains India’s most accessible medium, integrating digital tools, HD broadcasting, and multilingual content.

Picture Courtesy: PIB

How Television helped in educating masses?

Educational Broadcasting: Television has remained one of India’s most enduring tools for mass education, especially in regions where digital infrastructure remains weak. According to the National Sample Survey (2022), more than 65% of Indian households own a television, compared to only 37% with internet-enabled devices in rural areas. This makes broadcasting a critical medium for educational outreach. Doordarshan’s long-standing programmes like Gyan Darshan, Krishi Darshan, and Tele School have historically supported school, vocational, and agricultural learning.

Educational broadcasting during COVID

Daily classes for Classes 1–12 across DD National and regional channels
Teacher-led instruction supported by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Prasar Bharati
Regional content in local languages to address linguistic diversity
UNICEF (2021) reported that over 150 million students accessed televised learning.
Bihar’s “Bihar Doordarshan Learning Project” helped over 30 lakh students in rural districts who lacked smartphones.

PM e-Vidya: Launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (2020), PM e-Vidya created India’s largest broadcast-based education ecosystem, bridging online and offline modes.

Key Features

One Class, One Channel: 12 dedicated DTH channels for Classes 1–12
Alignment with DIKSHA, NCERT, and SWAYAM
Accessibility through DD Free Dish, the world’s most widely used free satellite platform
Support for NEP 2020 goals: Inclusive, multilingual, and technology-driven education

SWAYAM Prabha: SWAYAM Prabha is a network of high-quality educational channels using GSAT satellites to deliver uninterrupted learning across India.

Picture Courtesy: PIB

Technological and regulatory innovation in broadcasting:

Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT): India is shifting from analogue to DVB-T2-based digital terrestrial broadcasting. Benefits include:

Multiple channels on one frequency
Better picture and sound
Indoor and mobile reception

Almost all analogue transmitters have been phased out except 50 strategic sites.

Expansion of DD Free dish: A major driver of digital inclusion.

Over 5 crore households connected
Capacity expanded from 59 channels (2014) to 482 channels (2025)
Supports MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 formats
Ensures free access in border, tribal, and remote regions

Regulatory Developments: TRAI’s recommendations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 aim to:

Align broadcasting with multi-platform delivery
Strengthen QoS, accessibility, and consumer protection
Integrate OTT and broadcasting under modern authorisation frameworks

Why television still remains relevant today?

High penetration and wide accessibility: Television remains India’s most widely accessed communication medium. According to National Sample Survey 2022, over 65% of Indian households own a television, compared to only 37% with internet-enabled devices in rural areas.

Bridges the digital divide across regions and classes: Digital education faces constraints like device shortage, poor connectivity, and high data costs. TV bypasses these barriers.

CASE STUDY

In Aspirational Districts such as Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Mewat (Haryana), learning continuity during COVID-19 was sustained primarily through Doordarshan regional channels

Highly cost-effective and scalable: Television is the most affordable mass medium for educational delivery.

No recurring cost (DD Free Dish is free for life)
Production of standardized lessons reduces variation in teaching quality
One broadcast can reach millions simultaneously—something digital platforms struggle with in low-bandwidth regions

A single SWAYAM Prabha channel can telecast 48 lecture hours per day (multiple repeats) with negligible cost per learner.

Conclusion:

Television continues to play a transformative role in India’s educational landscape by ensuring continuity of learning, promoting digital inclusion, and supporting national initiatives like PM e-Vidya and SWAYAM Prabha. Even in an internet-driven era, television remains the only medium capable of delivering equitable, curriculum-aligned learning at scale to millions of households across rural and underserved communities.

Source: PIB

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Practice Question

Q. Discuss the role of television in promoting inclusive and equitable education in India. Evaluate its relevance in the post-pandemic digital era. (250 words)