Paper: GS Paper 2 Subject: Polity and Governance Topic: Statutory bodies; role of media in democracy Issue: Autonomy of Prasar Bharati
Context
Prasar Bharati is in the news due to fresh debates surrounding its lack of editorial autonomy, structural crisis and staffing shortages, and a new Ministry of Information and Broadcasting advisory restricting government bodies from independent broadcasting.
1. The Promise: Prasar Bharati Act, 1990
- In 1948, Nehru told the Constituent Assembly that broadcasting should follow the BBC model: a semi-autonomous corporation ‘not conducted as a government department’.
- The Chanda Committee (1966) had called for a ‘psychological transformation’ in the government’s approach to broadcasting.
- After the misuse of AIR and Doordarshan during the Emergency, the B.G. Verghese working group recommended a BBC-style autonomous corporation; the 1979 Bill lapsed.
- The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, seen as a ‘charter of freedom’ under Article 19(1)(a), came into force only in 1997.
- Section 12 mandates informing, educating and entertaining the public and safeguarding the citizen’s right to be informed ‘freely, truthfully and objectively’.
2. Gaps in Implementation
- Section 13: The 22-member parliamentary committee to oversee the corporation has never been constituted.
- Sections 14 and 15: The Broadcasting Council to hear complaints and guard impartiality was never set up.
- Assets and staff were not transferred, the Board depends on the Ministry for funds, and Section 23 lets the Centre issue binding directions.
- The Board, meant to be professionally managed, has largely been filled with bureaucrats.
- A 2021 audit found nearly half the staff in engineering and under 20% in content, against about 70% in content at the BBC.
3. Judicial and Global Benchmarks
- In Cricket Association of Bengal (1995), the Supreme Court held that airwaves are public property and called for an independent authority to regulate their use.
- UNESCO describes public broadcasting as neither commercial nor state-controlled.
4. Broader Implications
- Democracy and credibility: Citizens need impartial information and contrasting views, and public trust depends on editorial independence.
- Inclusion: Public broadcasting reaches rural, remote and linguistic audiences that commercial media ignore.
5. Way Forward
- Constitute the parliamentary committee and the Broadcasting Council.
- Rebuild the Board professionally, transfer assets and staff, and secure funding without government strings.
- Remove Indian Information Service officers from operational control.
- Amend the 1990 Act where practice has exposed loopholes.
Conclusion
Public service broadcasting is not state broadcasting. Implementing the Act in letter and spirit, as the Supreme Court envisaged, would make Prasar Bharati a credible voice of citizens rather than of governments.
Source: (The Hindu)
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