Section 06 · Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Information & Broadcasting
Dr. L. Murugan has served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting since July 2021, and continued in the role when he assumed charge again on 11 June 2024. The Ministry he serves is India's central institution for public information, broadcasting policy, films and the press.
The institutional ecosystem
The Ministry communicates government policy through radio, television, print, social media and traditional media. It is the focal point for broadcasting policy and administers the public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati. It also handles film promotion and certification, and the regulation of print media.
Public broadcaster
Prasar Bharati
Set up under the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990, and in existence since 23 November 1997. Its mandate is "to inform, educate and entertain". It runs Akashvani and Doordarshan, the free DTH service DD Free Dish, the NewsOnAir app and the WAVES OTT platform launched in 2024.
Radio
Akashvani
The national radio service. According to a PIB release of February 2026, it has 591 stations covering 92% of India's area and 91% of its population, and broadcasts in 23 languages and 182 dialects.
Television
Doordarshan
The national television service. It runs national and regional channels, several of them now in HD, and DD Free Dish. A 2025 Ministry handbook records 381 channels on Free Dish, up from 33 in 2004.
Information
Press Information Bureau
The government's nodal agency for communicating policies and programmes to the media. Its Fact Check Unit verifies claims about central ministries.
Outreach
Central Bureau of Communication
The Ministry's outreach and publicity arm. It published the Government of India Calendar 2026 in 13 languages.
Films
CBFC & NFDC
The Central Board of Film Certification certifies films for public exhibition. The National Film Development Corporation, a public sector company, organises IFFI and the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
Press & publishing
PRGI & Publications Division
The Press Registrar General of India registers newspapers and periodicals: 1,54,523 registered publications in 2024-25, according to the Ministry. The Publications Division publishes books of national importance.
Training
IIMC · FTII · SRFTI
These institutions train people in journalism, mass communication, film and television. Dr. Murugan inaugurated the IIMC Incubation Centre in New Delhi on 27 August 2024.
What the Ministry does, and what is on the record for him
A Minister of State shares in the work of a Ministry led by the Cabinet Minister, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw. To keep the record accurate, this page lists the Ministry's institutional responsibilities separately from actions documented for Dr. Murugan himself.
Ministry responsibilities
- Broadcasting policyPolicy for private broadcasting, and administration of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.
- Public informationCommunicating government policies and programmes through PIB, CBC, the New Media Wing and the Publications Division.
- FilmsFilm certification (CBFC), film promotion, and international festivals: IFFI in Goa and MIFF in Mumbai.
- Print mediaRegistration of newspapers and periodicals through the Press Registrar General of India.
- InfrastructureModernising Akashvani and Doordarshan under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme, 2021–26, with an outlay of ₹2,539.61 crore (Lok Sabha reply, 17 December 2025).
- FM expansionIn 2024 the Union Cabinet approved auctioning private FM channels in 234 new cities (as cited by PIB, 17 October 2024).
Recorded actions of Dr. L. Murugan
- Assumed charge · 11 June 2024Took charge as Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting. PIB records that he described the Ministry as a "communication bridge between the Government and the people".PIB · 11 Jun 2024
- Broadcasting symposium · 17 October 2024Inaugurated TRAI's symposium "Emerging Trends and Technologies in Broadcasting Sector", held alongside India Mobile Congress 2024 in New Delhi.PIB · 17 Oct 2024
- Malwi bulletin, Ujjain · November 2025Inaugurated a new Akashvani broadcast service in Ujjain with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav. It includes the first Akashvani news bulletin in the Malwi dialect.Akashvani News · Nov 2025
- Shivamogga FM · 26 February 2026Inaugurated a 10 kW FM transmitter station at Vidyanagar, Shivamogga, Karnataka.PIB · 26 Feb 2026
- Akashvani Chennai · 18 June 2026Felicitated Padma Shri awardee Dr. R. Sreedher and released the book "Innovations in Indian Public Service Broadcasting".PIB · 18 Jun 2026
- Fact-checking · 12 August 2026In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, he said the PIB Fact Check Unit verifies claims about central ministries, departments and public sector undertakings.Akashvani News · Aug 2026
Documented · 26 February 2026
A new FM transmitter for Shivamogga
On 26 February 2026, Dr. Murugan inaugurated Prasar Bharati's 10 kW FM transmitter station at Vidyanagar, Shivamogga, Karnataka. Shivamogga MP Shri B. Y. Raghavendra was present. PIB Bengaluru's release reports that he called the station a gift to Shivamogga and Bhadravathi. It also records his remarks that the government is committed to developing the "Orange Economy" and that Akashvani is expanding in response to public demand.
The release reports that he cited the Prime Minister's description of radio as a timeless helpline for many people. He also referred to ₹2,500 crore earmarked for broadcasting expansion and creative content, and to grants for upgrading transmitters in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru and Dharwad. Akashvani News reports that the transmitter works on 101.4 MHz and extends Akashvani Bhadravathi's coverage across Shivamogga and eight nearby districts.
Broadcasting in figures
Figures published by the Ministry and PIB, each with its date. Different releases sometimes measure the same thing differently, so figures are not combined across sources.
| Indicator | Figure | Source & date |
|---|---|---|
| Akashvani stations | 198 (2000) → 591 (2025) | PIB · 4 May 2025 |
| Akashvani coverage | 92% of area · 91% of population | PIB · 26 Feb 2026 |
| DD Free Dish channels | 33 (2004) → 381 (2025) | PIB · 4 May 2025 |
| Private FM stations | 4 (2001) → 388 (2024) | PIB · 4 May 2025 |
| Private satellite TV channels | 908 (2024-25) | PIB · 4 May 2025 |
| Community radio stations | 531 (May 2025) · 558 (Feb 2026) | PIB · 3 May 2025 · PIB · 26 Feb 2026 |
| BIND scheme outlay (2021–26) | ₹2,539.61 crore | Lok Sabha reply · 17 Dec 2025 (as reported) |
Public service broadcasting in many languages
Much of Dr. Murugan's documented broadcasting work concerns regional languages and local reach. In November 2025, the new Akashvani service he inaugurated in Ujjain began a daily news bulletin in the Malwi dialect at 7:20 PM on FM 102.5 MHz. Akashvani News reported that he said the centre would promote the dialect and the region's heritage.
His written replies in Parliament have set out the public broadcaster's regional network. A Rajya Sabha reply of March 2026, as reported, said 28 Akashvani centres operate in Odisha, 12 of them in Aspirational Districts, and that DD Odia broadcasts round the clock.
In June 2026, at Akashvani Chennai, he felicitated Padma Shri awardee Dr. R. Sreedher and released the book "Innovations in Indian Public Service Broadcasting" by Dr. N. Sundaram.
"As Akashvani celebrates its 90th year and Akashvani Chennai celebrates its 88th year, it is an absolute honor to felicitate Padma Shri Dr. R. Sreedher, who was an integral part of this institution and contributed immensely to it over many long years."
His review work has also taken in the Ministry's field units. In October 2024 he reviewed media units in Bengaluru and suggested a common content unit shared by PIB, Doordarshan and Akashvani. In December 2024 he visited the Akashvani and Doordarshan regional kendras at Daltonganj in Jharkhand, according to Akashvani News.