Use of State-funded Media During Polls

Source-This post on Use of State-funded Media During Polls has been created based on the article “Explained: Rules for political parties to use state-funded media during polls” published in “The Indian Express” on 18 May 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2–  Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

Context-Two Opposition leaders were recently asked to make certain changes to their speeches on Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) during the allocated broadcast time for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Use of State-funded Media During Polls

What are the rules regarding the allocation of time on state media for political parties?

1) Recognized political parties have been allowed to freely use state-owned TV and radio during polls since the 1998 Lok Sabha elections.

2) The Election Commission of India (ECI) decides the time allocation for national and state parties before the election campaign.

3) National parties get a minimum of 10 hours on Doordarshan’s national channel, 15 hours on regional channels, 10 hours on AIR’s national hook-up, and 15 hours on regional AIR stations.

4) State parties get a minimum of 30 hours on the appropriate regional Doordarshan channel and AIR radio station. For the 2024 elections, the ECI allocated broadcast and telecast time to 6 national parties and 59 state parties based on specific formulae.

Read more- Registered and Recognized Political Parties

What are the guidelines on the content of speech made by political leaders?

1) Parties and speakers must submit transcripts of their speeches 3-4 days before recording for approval by the concerned authorities, in the respective AIR and Doordarshan stations.

2) The ECI’s guidelines forbid criticism of other countries, attacks on religions or communities, obscenity, defamation, incitement of violence, contempt of court, aspersions against the President and judiciary, anything affecting national unity, sovereignty, and integrity, and criticism by name of any person.

What are the issues with these guidelines?

The opposition leaders have written a letter to Director General of Doordarshan stating that the censorship denies their right to dissent in a democracy.

Question for practice

What are the rules regarding the allocation of time on state media for political parties?