The Indian government, fully cognizant of the importance of messages in border areas, is taking additional steps to beef up public broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s networks in such sensitive areas.

Schemes for installation of 100W FM transmitter at Nyoma and one 5kw mobile FM transmitter in Leh regions in Ladakh have been approved by the government, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh said in a reply to fellow parliamentrain’s query in Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Thursday.

The Minister was replying to a question asked by a Member of Parliament whether it was a fact that China had been jamming frequencies carrying the All India Radio’s Chinese and Tibetan services and details of the government moves to counter such actions by the neighbour near India-China border, including combating incoming short and medium wave frequency broadcasts by radio stations in China.

Apart from the moves to strengthen AIR’s services in strategic areas in Ladakh, Thakur also said Prasar Bharati has “distributed DTH receive units in strategic/border areas under Broadcasting Infrastructure Network Development Scheme”.

Prasar Bharati’s free to air DTH platform DD FreedDish boasts of an array of TV and radio channels, including those belonging to the pubcaster and private sector media companies. The hardware for this service can be bought at a nominal price.

The External Services Division of AIR, which has 12 transmitters (5 FM, 6 MW and 1 SW), has been broadcasting the AIR Chinese and Tibetan services in the regions close to the Indo-China Border. In addition to that,

Doordarshan presently has three high-power transmitters located at Gangtok (DD National and DD News) and Leh (DD National), the Minister explained.

747 Websites, 94 YouTube Channels Blocked:  Replying to another query in Rajya Sabha on social media content takedowns and shutdown of channels, Thakur said in 2021-22 MIB had taken “strong action against YouTube channels working against the interest of the country”.

The Ministry acted against 94 YouTube channels, 19 social media accounts and 747 URLs and got them blocked. These actions have been taken under the Section 69A Information Technology Act 2000 to neutralise agencies “working against the sovereignty of the country by spreading fake news and spreading propaganda on internet”.