For first time, Prasar Bharati sets up recruitment board

Sources mentioned that there are thousands of vacancies at these levels in both All India Radio and Doordarshan.

The provisions for the creation of the recruitment board were mentioned in the Prasar Bharati Act of 1990, but it had not been created since Prasar Bharati was set up in 1997, when the Act came into force. In February this year, the government notified the rules for creation of the recruitment board.

As per the notified rules, the new recruitment board “shall hold the competitive examination or departmental examination or conduct interviews for selection of candidates” and “shall shortlist and recommend to the (Prasar Bharati) Board candidates for appointment thereto”.

It will ascertain from the Prasar Bharati Secretariat, the number of vacant posts for which recruitment is to be made from time to time; invite applications by advertisements; scrutinise the applications; select the candidates; and ensure that appointments adhere to the reservation policy of the government, as per the rules notified in February.

The rules state that the Prasar Bharati Board “shall accept the recommendations of the Recruitment Board” but “in exceptional circumstances and for reasons to be recorded in writing”, Prasar Bharati may “not accept such recommendations”.

Upasane, chairperson of the board, is the brother of Chhattisgarh BJP spokesperson Sachidanand Upasane. Their mother Rajni Upasane was a Jana Sangh member and a legislator from Raipur in 1977.

Other members of the board include Deepa Chandra and P N Bhakta, retired ADGs for programming and engineering, respectively; Kimbuong Kipgen, secretary of the Public Enterprises Selection Board; and Railways officer Chetan Prakash Jain. Joint Secretary (Broadcasting-II), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will be the ex-officio member.

Sources mentioned that the number of recruitment in future will be based on manpower audit recommendations, which is under review.