Public Service Broadcasting Day is celebrated annually on November 12

¨     Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed annually on November 12 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s historic radio address.

¨     On this day in 1947, Gandhi visited the Broadcasting House in New Delhi for the first and only time.

¨     He spoke to refugees in Kurukshetra on the occasion of Diwali.

¨     Freedom fighter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur accompanied Gandhi during this broadcast.

¨     Initially, Gandhi was reluctant to use the radio and agreed to speak after being persuaded by Ghanshyam Das Birla.

¨     The studio was arranged to resemble Gandhi’s daily prayer meeting setting.

¨     In 2000, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj declared November 12 as Public Service Broadcasting Day.

¨     Since then, Akashvani has celebrated the day every year.

¨     In March 2023, during the 100th episode of PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat, the studio was renamed ‘Bapu Studio’.

¨     Public Service Broadcasting Day reminds broadcasters to uphold and spread Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals nationwide.