India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur announced on Thursday that New Delhi would supply free Doordarshan (DD) Direct-to-Home (DTH) television for residents of “far-flung” villages at the Sino-India border.
Doordarshan is India’s national broadcaster. A DTH TV involves receiving satellite TV through signals from direct-broadcast satellites.
Thakur made the announcement during a three-day visit to the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh. Indian and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops have been involved in a standoff in the eastern Ladakh region since 2020.
The minister said that the government was committed to providing “better mobile connectivity” and “better all-round connectivity” to residents of these remote villages.
He said that New Delhi was also involved in efforts to improve the reach of All India Radio (AIR), the government-backed broadcaster, at the villages lying along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto boundary between the two Asian nations.
Thakur told residents of border villages that the government was implementing better digital connectivity and road connectivity on “priority”.
He said that steps were also being taken to ensure better tourism infrastructure, better sports infrastructure and availability of safe and adequate drinking water under the federal Jal Jeevan Mission scheme in the border villages.
During his three-day visit, Thakur also interacted with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troopers at the Indo-China border. The ITBP is a paramilitary agency tasked with manning the LAC.
Thakur said that the visit was aimed at gaining a “first hand understanding” of challenges faced by residents, officials and troops at villages along the LAC.
India Seeks to Bolster Radio, TV Signals in Border Areas
Over the last few years, New Delhi has been involved in ramping up its TV and radio signals infrastructure in the border villages.
Thakur has said that border coverage by “strong signals” constitutes an “important aspect of broadcasting policies” of the government.
The Indian government earmarked a budget of over $300 million in this year’s annual budget to boost the country’s broadcasting infrastructure.