JNU to launch community radio station, IIMC, SCDR to join

People residing close to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)campus here might soon get the opportunity to be on air with the university all set to launch a community radio station as part of its “social responsibility”. The community radio will cater to residents of areas such as Ber Sarai, Munirka, Kishangarh, Hauz Khas Village, Vasant Vihar cluster areas and Mahipalpur, chairperson, Special Centre for Disaster Research (SCDR), professor Amita Singh, told PTI. “We are also trying to work out (a plan) so that we can reach Chhattarpur,” she said.

The SCDR at the JNU will ink an agreement with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication to start the community radio service.

“We will get grandmothers to talk about things. There will be discussions with local ward councillors, residents of the area to know the issues,” Singh said, adding the project is part of the “university’s social responsibility”. The service will not only alert people about environment-related issues in their areas but also talk about the local issues.

There will also be discussions with local police personnel as they are the first responders in any disaster and “we will talk to them how prepared they are”, she said.

For instance, if there is a girl who is doing well, she will share her story with others on the radio service, she said.

There will also be discussions about women’s safety and school admissions among others, the SCDR chairperson said.

IIMC students will work as radio jockeys and will provide logistical support. The SCDR will research topics that can be taken up on radio shows, she said.

Singh said they plan to start the community radio station in the next fortnight.

JNU recently as part of an MoU has put in place an automatic weather station and an environmental monitoring station on its campus.