The deserted look at Gyan Vani FM Radio station in the premises of IGNOU, Bangalore Regional Centre at Jayanagar 8th Block. Photo: WWW.ENARADA.COM
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ENARADA, Bangalore, October 10, 2014
Knowledge seekers and students are shedding tears silently. All the 37 Gyan Vani educational FM Radio stations have shut down from October 1, owing to negligence by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Due to lack of co-ordination among Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I & B Ministry), Prasar Bharati and IGNOU, Gyan Vani has received a big blow. Additional Director General of All India Radio, sent a letter on September 12, to Prof. Aslam, Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU stating of closure of IGNOU services citing Non-payment of outstanding dues.
IGNOU, the national open university popularly known as the people’s University, gets grants from Government to promote higher education in India. It’s courses are part time and degrees are recognised all over the world. Since, there is no upper limit ceiling, students from the age group of 20 to 83 years pursue education in IGNOU.
Apart from students of IGNOU, general public had made it a habit to tune in to Gyan Vani for listening to Health tips, Live counselling with Doctors, Inspirational Talks by achievers, Language Improvement lessons and personality development training.
According to sources, listeners to Gyan Vani increased as both, Gyan Darshan I (A satellite based round the clock TV channel, devoted to educational and developmental needs of the society), and Gyan Darshan II (An educational satellite offering distance education through Virtual Class Room mode), went off the air, some time back.
Electronic Media Production Centre (EMPC) of IGNOU was producing an interactive educational programs for students and General Public in English, Hindi and local languages and All India Radio was airing it everyday between 6:00am and 11:00am with repeat telecast between 5:00pm and 10:00pm.
Lakhs of loyal listeners are depressed as their favourite FM Radio station is dead for the first time, since its inception in 2001.
G.H.Imrapur, ARD, IGNOU Bangalore Regional Centre said, his centre is getting calls everyday from the regular listeners of Gyan Vani. He was optimistic about Gyan Vani resuming the operations soon.
People from Bangalore city,Kanpur and Visakhapatnam were enjoying the programs by tuning Radio sets to 106.4 Megahertz . Agra, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Cuttack, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jallandhar, Lucknow, Madurai, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, Srinagar, Tirunelveli, Tiruvananthapuram and Varanasi stations were operating in 105.6 Mhz frequency.
Bhopal and Coimbatore stations with 105.0 Mhz, Kolkata with 105.4 Mhz, Shillong with 105.8 Mhz, Allahabad with107.4 Mhz, Panaji with 107.8 Mhz, Tiruchirapali with 104.8 Mhz was a mega hit radio stations among the class audience.
Vishwanath, a resident of Malleshwaram, Bangalore and an ardent listener of FM106.4 was furious as his favourite station has stopped abruptly. Expressing anger, he said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels all over the world creating an impression that situation in India is improving. He even interacts with school children to say that his Government is determined to eradicate illiteracy, but silently kills the established form of low cost mass media educational system. Is it because of the name ‘Indira Gandhi’ associated with IGNOU?.There cannot be a bigger tragedy than this.”
Gyan Vani FM Radio operates through several FM stations from various cities in the country. Initially Gyan Vani Allahabad and Gyan Vani Bangalore were launched in November, 2001. Other 35 Gyan Vani stations were launched in phased manner either through a local partner institution or an IGNOU Regional Centre after the transmission infrastructure was commissioned at the local All India Radio Stations.
Thanks for reporting this item eNarada, appreciate you in chronicling this important news which even the govt is least bothered to cite the reasons.
I am an ardent fan of Gyan vaani since 2003. Since the days of preparing for my college exams i am a keen listener @106.4MHz.
The govt brags on many fronts, but this appalling that this educative social broadcaster has ceased to operate and the frequencies have died, this is disheartning, I have benefited immensely. Its station like this which are enriching societies and cultures, and not one of those empty private stations which air parochial shows and only adds to the noise in the air and depressing and creating more clutter in the society.
That Gyan vaani is not in air for 3 months and do not know how long, is a colossal loss and its estimation cannot be comprehended in monetary terms because its knowledge and wisdom thats lost.
Thank you enarada for providing this space to wire my concern.
Keep up your good work.
Dear Gajendra
Thanks for your reply. We were told the issue would be addressed soon, but looking at the careless attitude of the Government, there is little hope for 106.4 to quench the thirst of knowledge seekers in near future. Political leaders sings ‘Development’ tunes in their speeches but in reality…….?
Felling very sad that gnana Vani has been shut down I was ardent listener since 2005
Sir
Jnanvani is knowledge full Chanel even to ordinary layman with a simple device every one possess as mobile or radio. It’s will be better if politics is kept away.
Can’t this problem be brought to notice of PM Modi. Thro is website or letter to pm office, and inform private TV channels which will blow this issue and seek answer…
I was listening this channel regularly. Especially Doctors discussion programs were excellent and even educational related discussions. If this channel re-started it would be useful for many people like us. Please let us know when the problems will get solved and re-starting this classical band again. Waiting for concerned persons replay……………
Should be done something.
Should be reopened soon.
I am regular listener of gnanavani. It was very helpful and educative which so far I have not come across during my student life. Request kindly re-start the channel .
I feel so much happier now I untsredand all this. Thanks!
Concerned dept. and officials should take initiative to resume the gnanavani services as no other FM channel would give that much information and all are for entertainment only.