NEW DELHI: From now onwards, radio bulletins in English on the Prasar Bharti-run service will begin with the announcement: “This is Akashvani” in place of “this is All India Radio”.
The union ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) has decided to enforce a provision of the law by which the radio services of Prasar Bharati will now be called only Akashvani.
“This was long pending and in line with the law which came into being in 1997. Our listeners have more of a connect with Akashvani and so we are ridding ourselves of colonial baggage that may have persisted,” said Gaurav Dwivedi, the chief executive officer of Prasar Bharati.
“The aforesaid statutory provision, which has replaced the name of AIR with Akashvani, may be brought to the attention of all so that names and titles get in tune with the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990, passed by Parliament,” an order said.
It may be mentioned here that although All India Radio (AIR) has been officially known as Akashvani — a name proposed by Rabindranath Tagore meaning “voice from the sky” — since 1956, both names were used in radio shows and broadcasts.
Former I&B minister Manish Tiwari says, “What is wrong with the term All India Radio being used in English? It is really a silly, inane branding exercise which is completely redundant. This doesn’t matter except for pure tokenism.”