PRASAR BHARATI

Nov. 24, 2018

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has decided to overhaul its workforce, a long-pending exercise that was recommended by the Sam Pitroda Committee in 2014. The last time the Prasar Bharati hired was in 1996.

About:

Prasar Bharati is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country.
Status: Prasar Bharati is a statutory autonomous body established under the Prasar Bharati Act.
Objective: To conduct public broadcasting services intended to inform and entertain the public.
Components: It comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Established in:
HQ: New Delhi.
Prasar Bharati Board:
- The Prasar Bharati Act vests the general superintendence, direction, and management of affairs of the Corporation in the Prasar Bharati Board.
- The President of India appoints the Chairman and the other Members, except the ex officio members, nominated member and the elected members.
- Board meetings must be held at least once in every three months each year.

Recent decision: Manpower Audit

Prasar Bharati has hired Ernst and Young to conduct a manpower audit to overhaul its workforce. The exercise is expected to be completed in eight months’ time.
It essentially involves identifying redundant roles and make the organisation IT-enabled.
The Sam Pitroda Committee which submitted its report in 2014, recommended the manpower audit of Prasar Bharati.
- According to it, Prasar Bharati reportedly had 33,800 employees and the sanctioned strength was 48,022 — the highest in the world for a public broadcaster.
- While the BBC had staff strength of 16,858, public broadcasters of Japan and China employed 10,000 each.