Akashvani 90 Years: Swar Prerna Veethika Gallery Opens
Why in the news
To mark nine decades of Akashvani and build up to the 2027 centenary of radio in India, a gallery honouring musicians linked with the broadcaster was opened in New Delhi on 1 July 2026.
Key facts
- Swar Prerna Veethika is a permanent photo gallery of great musicians associated with AIR, including civilian-honour recipients.
- Inaugurated by flute maestro Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia (Padma Vibhushan) at the Rang Bhavan Auditorium, Akashvani Bhavan.
- Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi was present.
- Next phase: more portraits to be added, and similar galleries to come up at Akashvani centres across the country.
- The 2027 milestone is the centenary of radio broadcasting in India.
About Akashvani
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | All India Radio (AIR) |
| Launched as AIR | 8 June 1936 |
| Akashvani name adopted | 1956, drawn from a 1938 Rabindranath Tagore poem in Bengali |
| Reach | 460+ stations, 92% of the country’s area |
| Languages | 23 official languages and 146 dialects |
| External Services | 100+ countries, 27 languages |
About Prasar Bharati
- Autonomous statutory public broadcaster, set up on 23 November 1997 under the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990; headquartered in New Delhi.
- Two wings: Akashvani (radio) and Doordarshan (TV).
- Committees linked to its recommendations: Chanda (1966), Verghese (1978) and P.C. Joshi (1985).
- Vividh Bharati is AIR’s entertainment service (1957); WAVES is its OTT platform.
Exam angle
- Prasar Bharati: statutory body, two wings, formed 1997.
- Name Akashvani: 1956; AIR named 8 June 1936.
- Radio broadcasting began in India in June 1923 with the Radio Club of Bombay; the ISBS followed on 1 April 1930.