To counter anti-India chorus, govt mulls a new digital channel

If the information and broadcasting ministry agrees to a proposal by Prasar Bharti — its broadcast arm — India will have a digital channel to tell the “India story” to challenge “the anti-India narrative in foreign media”.

In a report submitted to the ministry on Wednesday, a Prasar Bharati Committee on establishing a Digital Platform for India suggested a platform that will report on international news to a global digital audience with an India perspective.

Targeted at English-speaking audiences, global opinion-makers and influencers, and the Indian diaspora, the digital channel will change the narrative that presents India as a “constant point of conflict between Hindu nationalists and so-called secularism”, said A Surya Prakash, PB chairman and also head of the committee.

Pegged to cost over ₹75 crore, the digital platform will have correspondents across the globe to bring news to Indian audiences as well as present news of the “new India” that is emerging. It will be a 24x7 operation on internet platforms.

“The big story is that India is the most diverse and vibrant democracy; a lot of things are happening, we have a government that would get a better rating than many others (governments). Yet, the whole discourse seems to be the constant conflict between Hindus and Muslims, which is totally bogus,” Prakash told HT on Thursday.

New Delhi is peeved at international media reports that they claim portray India negatively.

Recently, a spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs questioned the wisdom of The New York Times for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice of Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

“All editorials or opinions are subjective. This case is particularly so. The wisdom in doubting the verdicts of genuine democratic exercises, at home or abroad, is questionable,” the MEA spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The NYT had published an editorial, titled ‘Modi’s Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists’.

Conceptualised by Shashi Shekhar Vempati, member, Prasar Bharati Board, the digital channel would be created through an appropriate corporate structure under the Companies Act 2013 to ensure both financial autonomy and global competitiveness.