Hyderabad, March 24 Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) reached a new milestone on Tuesday with the launch of its community radio station, Radio MANUU 90.0 FM, at its Gachibowli campus in Hyderabad.
The station was inaugurated by the Director General of All India Radio, Rajeev Kumar Jain, in the presence of the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan.
Developed by the university’s Instructional Media Centre (IMC), the station aims to serve the community and residents. According to MANUU, it is envisioned as a platform to amplify local voices and address community-specific issues.
Speaking at the event, Rajeev Kumar Jain highlighted the importance of community radio in reaching marginalised sections and bridging the digital divide.
He stated that community radio is a useful medium of communication for educational institutions because of its cost-effectiveness, convenience, portability, and flexibility in content formats. Though it has a reach of 16 km, it can be maximised through social media platforms.
He informed that a total of 560 community radio stations are functioning across the country, and of these, nearly 38 per cent are run by educational institutions. Community radio is a medium that empowers people. Its growth also supports the government's vision of inclusive communication and outreach, he added.
He hoped that MANUU radio would help achieve the University's mandate of nation-building through knowledge dissemination. He said that Aakashvani has always played an important role by supporting community radios and assured that good content can also be played on Aakashvani. He also invited talented individuals to associate with Akashvani Radio Station.
Rajeev Jain further spoke about the evolution of radio in the digital era, mentioning the expansion of Akashvani’s social media presence and plans to introduce “visual radio” systems across 33 locations by 2027.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan said the initiative reflects MANUU’s commitment to extending education beyond classrooms and making knowledge accessible to society at large.
While highlighting the importance of the radio, he said that through this platform, we can exchange ideas and reach larger audiences beyond the campus.
Prof. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Registrar, in his address, said Radio MANUU is a powerful asset and an invaluable addition to our outreach programme. It opens a new pathway to connect with communities, share knowledge, and bring the University closer to the people it serves.
Rizwan Ahmad, Director, IMC, said that Radio MANUU is a massive outreach programme that will provide a platform for a diverse range of cultural programmes, including language, literature, history, heritage, nutrition, environment, and other areas. He informed that many eminent persons recorded these programmes with great interest.
--IANS
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