Ensuring students welfare in more comprehensive way, Ranchi University (RU) is gearing up to make its community radio service ‘Khanchi’ functional that will not just be confined to broadcasting students related activities but will also be utilised for boosting up skill development scheme through engaging youths in various mass media activities and other know how to address several social issue covering both ‘infotainment’ and ‘edutainment’ genres.
The community radio that registers low presence in the tribal belt will come up at Basic and Applied Science building, Morabadi campus involving students from across the streams. Both Government of India (GoI) and Government of Jharkhand (GoJ) have given the consent to start the service, claimed the university officials. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will issue the license whereas Ministry of IT and Telecommunications will assist in providing frequency to the stakeholders.
Notably, the project was planned and was supposed to get started in 2011 for which the State Government had approved an amount of Rs 40 lakh as well. However, despite various attempts over the years to start the project, the ambitious plan never commenced in spite of roping a Kolkata-based Webel Media Electronics that had given the assent to supply and install all acoustically equipped electronic gadgets earlier.
“Serious attempts are being made to start the community radio service from this year. Approximately, six months time period is required to make the community radio service operational. The service will be for the students, to the students and by the students. Beside, student welfare activities, the service will also boost up skill development scheme by providing short term course in community radio operation,” said, Director Radio ‘Khanchi’, Anand Kumar Thakur.
As per the defined guidelines, the university will draft out a proposal for proper functioning of the community radio on campus premises. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 35-40 lakh. So far, the State Government has not sanctioned any amount for the project neither the varsity has yet figured out the cost of operation or the share of the amount that will come from the university funds.
Interestingly, at present, in State Capital community radio service is only functional at two university campuses that include Birsa Agriculture University (BAU) and Central University Jharkhand (CUJ). However, license of Birsa Hariyali Radio Station (BHRS) established at BAU campus for benefiting farmers of Ranchi has expired whereas CUJ radio community radio service too is not operational in full-fledged way.