Correct Answer : 23rd July
National Broadcasting Day is observed every year on July 23 in India. It aims to remind us about the impact of radio on our lives. The day also marks the start of organised radio broadcasts in the country by All India Radio.
National Broadcasting Day History : Until the advent of television, radio was the prime source of entertainment and information for the entire country.
All India Radio started broadcasting in 1923 via 2 private stations called the Radio Club of Bombay and Calcutta Radio Club. It was on July 23, 1927, that organised broadcasting kick-started in India. It was on July 23 that All India Radio began its journey as a private company called Indian Broadcasting Company ltd (IBC).
Eventually, the Indian Broadcasting Company ltd (IBC) was taken over by the British Raj and transformed into All India Radio (AIR) on June 8, 1936. The name Akashvani (voice or announcement from the skies) was formally adopted for the national broadcaster in 1956. The name was derived from a poem of the same name by Rabindranath Tagore in 1938. He wrote the poem for the inauguration of Kolkata’s first short-wave radio station, as noted by historian Chandrika Kaul.
AIR is now a division of Prasar Bharati which also controls Doordarshan. Prasar Bharti was previously under government control but is now an autonomous body.
Significance : Indian radio broadcasting had an enormous impact in creating an Independent India. The Azad Hind Radio established by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Congress Radio helped rouse Indians against the British in the struggle for Independence. Akashvani also played an instrumental role in helping Bangladesh gain Independence from Pakistan in the 1971 war..
Source : CNBC TV18
