Deccan Chronicle

Children’s films to be screened in schools Plan to launch TV channels hits roadblock

- NITIN MAHAJAN | DC NEW DELHI, JULY 1

Soon watching films could be a part of extra curricular activities implemente­d in the country’s school system. The informatio­n and broadcasti­ng ministry and human resource developmen­t ministry are understood to be working out a formula, likely to be implemente­d during the 12th five year plan, wherein students could be shown children’s films.

Students from both urban and rural areas will be targeted for exhibition of films in schools. As per the

The objective is to exhibit films for the benefit of children in semiurban and rural areas who are deprived of good children’s cinema

scheme, exhibition of children’s films will be screened in schools through district and state level film festivals.

“The objective is to exhib- it films without charge for the benefit of children in semi-urban and rural areas who are deprived of good quality children’s cinema,” sources added.

In another step to increase the access of children’s films across the country, it has been proposed that the children’s film festival travel to other parts apart from just being held in Hyderabad. The Internatio­nal Children’s Film Festival has been held in Hyderabad for nine consecutiv­e years and children of the rest of the country have been deprived of this event.

An ambitious plan of the HRD ministry to launch 1,000 educationa­l television channels has hit a roadblock after it failed to get the required permission from the informatio­n and broadcasti­ng ministry. Officials said that the I&B ministry, held back its permission as they failed to meet one crucial requiremen­t. The HRD ministry had first initiated steps to launch 50 round-the-clock channels and had approached the I&B ministry for permission for uplinking and downlinkin­g the channels. According to the I&B ministry’s uplinking and downlinkin­g guidelines, an applicant seeking permission for a TV channel should be a company registered in India under the Companies Act, 1956. The HRD ministry is not a company and consequent­ly does not meet this criterion, officials said.

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