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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: BIND Scheme

Mains level: Read the attached story

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)” scheme to upgrade Prasar Bharati to expand the public service broadcasting infrastructure across the country.

Prasar Bharati

Prasar Bharati is India’s state-owned public broadcaster, headquartered in New Delhi.
It is a statutory autonomous body set up by Prasar Bharati Act, 1990.
It comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and Akashvani All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

BIND Scheme

BIND scheme is the vehicle for providing financial support to Prasar Bharati for expenses related to expansion and upgradation of its broadcasting infrastructure, content development and civil work.
Its features include-

Outreach expansion: It will enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgradation of its facilities with better infrastructure which will widen its reach, in the LWE, border and strategic areas and provide high quality content to the viewers.
Quality content: Another major priority area of the scheme is the development of high-quality content for both domestic and international audience and ensuring availability of diverse content to the viewers.
More TV channels: It seeks to upgrade the capacity of DTH platform to accommodate more channels.
Expansion of radio coverage: The scheme will increase coverage of AIR FM transmitters in the country to 66 percent by geographical area and 80 percent by population up from 59 percent and 68 percent respectively.
Free DISH services: The scheme also envisages free distribution of over 8 lakh DD Free Dish STBs to people living in remote, tribal, left wing extremism inflicted and border areas.

Benefits provided

Ans. Employment generation

The project has the potential to generate indirect employment by way of manufacturing and services related to supply and installation of broadcast equipment.
Content generation and content innovation for AIR and DD has the potential of indirect employment of persons with varied experience of different media fields in the content production sector including TV/radio production, transmission and associated media-related services.
Further, the project for expansion of the reach of DD Free Dish is expected to generate employment opportunities in the manufacturing of the DD Free Dish DTH boxes.

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