On May 3,2025, Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr. L Murugan, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B), honoured 12 outstanding Community Radio Stations (CRS), with 10th National Community Radio Awards, at the 8th National Community Radio Conference at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- The event was organized by the MoI&B and Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), on the sidelines of World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.
- The conference brought together representatives from more than 400 CRS across the country on one platform to provide an opportunity for dialogue and collaboration.
Note: As of April 2025, a total of 531 community radio stations are operational across India.
Key People:
Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MoI&B; Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary, MoI&B and Managing Director (MD), National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and Anupama Bhatnagar, Vice Chancellor, IIMC.
10th National Community Radio Station Awards:
The 10th National Community Radio Station Awards consists of 12 awards under 4 categories such as Thematic awards, Most Innovative Community Engagement Awards, Promoting Local Culture Awards and Sustainability Model Awards.
- These prestigious awards recognize the Outstanding CRS from various states across Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu(TN), Odisha, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
Winners of 10th National Community Radio Awards:
i.Category: Thematic Award:
| Prize | Name of the Radio Station | Name of the Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Radio Mayur, Mayur Kala Kendra, Bihar | Tech Sakhi |
| 2nd Prize | Radio Kochi, St. Teresa’s College, Kerala | Nirangal |
| 3rd Prize | Hello Doon, National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities(NIEPVD), Uttarakhand | Meri Baat |
ii.Category: Most Innovative Community Engagement Award
| Prize | Name of the Radio Station | Name of the Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Yerlawani Sangli, Yerala Projects Society, Maharashtra | Kahani sunandachi |
| 2nd Prize | Vaylaga Vanoli, Madurai, Tamil Nadu (TN) | Let’s Build a new Norm |
| 3rd Prize | Salaam Namaste, Institute of Management Studies(IMS), Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP) | Maid Didi |
iii.Category: Promoting Local Culture Award:
| Prize | Name of the Radio Station | Name of the Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Radio Brahmputra, Centre for Northeast Studies and Policy Research (C- NES), Dibrugarh, Assam | Igarekun |
| 2nd Prize | Radio Kotagiri, Keystone Foundation, Tamil Nadu (TN) | En Makkaludan Oru Payanam |
| 3rd Prize | Radio Active, LOKHIT Bhagalpur, Bihar | Ang Pradesh ki Adbhut Dharohar |
iv.Category: Sustainability Model
| Prize | Name of the Radio Station | Name of the Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Radio Benziger Kollam, Kerala | Bishop Benziger Hospital Society |
| 2nd Prize | Radio Namaskar, Konark, Odisha | Young India |
| 3rd Prize | Radio Antarwani, Gulbarga, Karnataka | Sharanbasbeswara Vidya Vardhak Sangh |
About National Community Radio Awards:
i.The MoI&B instituted the National Community Radio Awards in 2011–2012 with the objective of encouraging innovation and fostering healthy competition among Community Radio Stations (CRSs) across India.
ii.The National Community Radio Awards are given to CRS who have done exemplary work in the field of Community Radio Broadcasting through Community Centric Programmes.
iii.Cash Prize:
- First Prize – Rs. 1 lakh
- Second Prize – Rs. 75,000
- Third Prize – Rs.50,000
About Community Radio Stations (CRSs) :
Community Radio is an important 3rd tier in Radio Broadcasting, distinct from Public Service Radio Broadcasting and Commercial Radio.
- CSRs are low power radio stations, which are meant to be set-up and operated by community-based organisations.
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoI&B):
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha – Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS) – Dr. L. Murugan (Rajya Sabha – Madhya Pradesh, MP)
