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The Communiqué News

Millions tune into AIR News on Digital platforms

New Delhi [India], May 27: When it comes to trust and authenticity in the news media industry, News network of All India Radio outshines one and all. A 2021 report by Reuters Institute vouched for the same and this is further corroborated by the trailblazing milestones achieved by the digital platforms of All India Radio News network; the most recent being 3 Million Followers on Twitter.


Pritish Bagdi

Since its inception in 2013, this twitter handle has seen consistent growth with impressions clocking around a Million per day. Apart from this handle, regular updates are also available on @AIRNewsHindi and @AIRNewsUrdu. AIR is also disseminating News in regional languages through its 44 Twitter handles across all States and UTs.


In tune with the changing times, AIR News has expanded its footprint across multiple social media platforms in a big way to reach out to maximum number of listeners, especially the youth. All India Radio has been providing News updates on various other digital platforms like YouTube, App, Website, Facebook, Instagram and Koo, along with the traditional means, thereby making it the ubiquitous medium to access trustworthy news.


NewsOnAir App has proven to be a game-changer for All India Radio as 270 All India Radio streams are available on NewsOnAir App in India and globally in more than 190 countries. Some of the AIR streams on NewsOnAir App like Vividh Bharati, AIR Punjabi and AIR News 24*7 are very popular in many of these countries.


Growth of the ‘News on AIR official’ YouTube channel to 4.5 Lakh subscribers in a short duration of 3 years reflects the relevance of All India Radio news on all platforms. Since it started streaming in 2019, it has seen linear growth on viewing time, which has increased to more than 22 Lakh hours and total impressions adding up to more than 38 Crores. The growth on all these platforms is purely organic.


In yet another landmark, the number of followers on Facebook for AIR News has crossed 3.4 Million. The followers on the AIR News Facebook page are from more than 43 different countries. This makes it the voice of India and also a link between India and Indian Diaspora across the globe. Radio shows like World News program, with focus on Indian perspective, became popular in a very short span of time.


Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati lauded the feat. He met the social media team at Akashvani Bhawan and urged them to scale new heights with their creative spirit. Principal Director General, All India Radio News, NV Reddy said that it is the result of teamwork and a reflection of the credibility AIR News enjoys among people.


Student specific programs like Abhyaas, Quiz on Freedom Movement and Sports Quiz have evinced interest amongst the new generation to consider AIR as a regular feature in their media diet. Further contributing to connecting J&K with the mainstream, a special segment ‘Jammu Kashmir – EK Nayi Subah’ has been added to the already diverse bouquet of AIR programming.


In order to reach out to the Diaspora, and to enhance India’s global outreach and soft power, AIR News has doubled the transmission in foreign languages including in Dari, Pashto, Baluchi, Nepali, Mandarin Chinese and Tibetan.


Apart from traditional and social media platforms, All India Radio is also available on DD FreeDish DTH and DRM.


All India Radio, established in 1936, is the largest Radio network in the world. It broadcasts news and current affairs programmes in 77 Indian and 12 foreign languages.



NMA's quantum jump in making Heritage By-Laws

New Delhi [India], May 26: National Monuments Authority (NMA), has made a record number of 101 Heritage By Laws during the covid period (from 2019 onwards) , covering a total of 126 centrally protected monuments. More HBLs for Martand Temple, Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal to be taken.


Swati Bhat

This is in comparison to five Heritage By- Laws (HBLs) covering 31 centrally protected monuments finalized in the preceding ten years. This reflects a 20 times increase in quantum of HBLs over last two years.


t is also noteworthy that, as per the AMASR Act and the mandate given to the NMA, the HBLs work was supposed to be finished by 2012, covering the entire gamut of more than 3600 centrally protected monuments throughout India. NMA Chairman, Tarun Vijay said that under the vision and leadership of the Prime Minister, the task of making HBLs has been speeded up by leaps and bounds and a separate HBL department created with four experts headed by a conservation architect. The HBL meetings started being conducted thrice a week. These meetings also involved, inviting the DG ASI and various other regional directors and surveyor archaeologists from every part of the country, eventually resulting in smooth flow of survey maps and draft HBLs from ASI, especially from central, eastern and northern India.


The NMA Chairman said, “The biggest joy and satisfaction was felt in the NMA when we finalised HBLs for the 14th century Bishnu temple in Manipur; Jagannath Temple in Puri; Chausath Yogini, Jabalpur; Jagatgrama Ashwamedha site and Lakha Mandal group of Shiva temples in Uttarakhand.”


The National Monuments authority, was set up as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Remains (AMASR) (Amendment Validation) Act 2010, entrusting it with the responsibility to consider granting permissions to applicants for conservation related activity in the centrally prohibited and regulated areas. The need for the HBLs consequently was induced by the increasing rate of urbanization, development, mounting population pressure, and concomitantly the aggravating pressure on land around the centrally protected monuments, which often obstructed and came in the way of the monument’s 300 meters peripheral jurisdiction. This made it imperative, for regulating the property and individual growth around the monuments, along with the need to balance it with the cause of protecting and preserving the monuments itself. Such situations and the requirements of the time instrumentalized in the formation of the Heritage by-Laws (HBLs) by the NMA which regularly notifies on its website, inviting the local people’s comments and suggestions with regard to its HBL content.

Under the Modi government the HBL work and granting NOCs has taken a quantum jump- putting it on fast track.


After receiving people’s comments and suggestions, they are discussed after a period of 30 days and if found useful the HBLs amended, and sent to the Ministry of Culture seeking their affirmation and then getting it ratified by the Parliament as the final acceptance.

Shri Tarun Vijay also remarked that the capacity of NMA has been expanded considerably because now a total of 41 new top notch Heritage Bodies have been included in the NMA panel for making HBLs. “It as a revolutionary step inspired by the vision and mission of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, keeping the agenda of heritage protection as the sine qua non of the NMA”, the Chairman explained. . Clearly reflected from the fact that under the Modi government the panel to make HBLs now has 42 heritage bodies, going up considerably from a mere of 4 earlier.


Accompanying these feats, are the historical achievements of NMA bringing down the NOC pendency to a nil because of the online features which remarkably expediated the process and also vouched for print transparency keeping in mind the interests of the applicant, as can be gauged from a record 82% approval of 1118 NOCS out of 1360.


Currently, draft HBLs awaited from ASI for finalization and sending them to the Parliament approval include monuments like, Taj Mahal; Qutub Minar; Dwarkadheesh Temple Dwarka; Hemis Gompa, Leh and Martand Temple, Kashmir. It is exhilarating that with the pursuance of these goals NMA will be able to complete the entire residual work of HBLs within a single year fulfilling the assurance of the Ministry to the Parliament.




Olivia Wilde shows support for boyfriend Harry Styles' new album 'Harry's House'

Washington [US], May 23: Hollywood actor and filmmaker Olivia Wilde celebrated the release of her boyfriend Harry Styles' new album 'Harry's House' by posting a social media video dedicated to him.


Swati Bhat


According to E! News, Wilde took to her Instagram handle and posted a Story which featured a short video from the 2018 Polish film 'Cold War' set to the tune of Harry's new song 'Music For A Sushi Restaurant'. For the caption, Olivia simply shared a hands up emoji. The clip showed a woman tiredly standing at the bar of a busy restaurant before she begins dancing along to Harry's funky, feel-good hit. Back in January 2021, Harry and Olivia had first confirmed their romance, four months after it was revealed that the 'Watermelon Sugar' singer had been cast in her film 'Don't Worry Darling', as per E! News.



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