Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | 7 March 2026

As part of the 117th birth anniversary celebrations of P. N. Panicker, a workshop on Community Radio Stations (CRS) was organised on 7 March 2026 at Thiruvananthapuram. The event was hosted by the P. N. Panicker Foundation in collaboration with Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) as part of the Social Activist Day observances.

The session began with an introductory overview by Sri. N. Balagopal, Vice Chairman, P. N. Panicker Foundation, who highlighted the significance of community radio as a tool for grassroots communication and social empowerment.

Delivering the presidential address, Sri. T. K. A. Nair, Advisor to Former Prime Minister, reflected on the remarkable contribution of P. N. Panicker to social development and literacy movements in India. He noted the continued work of the P. N. Panicker Foundation in promoting knowledge and community engagement.

Experiences from operational community radio stations were presented by Fr. Dr. Abraham Mulamoottil (Macfast Radio) and Fr. Bijo Thomas (Community Radio Mattoli). They discussed the functioning of community radio stations in Kerala, highlighting their programming approaches, management practices, and strategies for sustaining operations as a long-term community initiative.

A special address was delivered by Sri. Khushwinder Singh, BECIL, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. He elaborated on the schemes, policies, and guidelines of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting related to community radio and explained the technical aspects involved in establishing and operating CRS.

Speaking during the session, Ms. Monica Sharma, Programme Coordinator at COL-CEMCA highlighted that COL-CEMCA serves as a nodal agency of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for creating awareness among potential institutions and organisations about community radio in India. She explained the step-by-step process involved in obtaining the required licenses for establishing a Community Radio Station and distributed the CRS manual developed by COL-CEMCA containing detailed guidance for applicants. She also noted that in recent years nearly 200 community radio stations participated in projects supported by government departments such as the Ministry of AYUSH and the Department of Science and Technology.

The workshop concluded with strong interest from participants. A total of 15 organisations submitted Expressions of Interest to establish Community Radio Stations, which will be forwarded to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. COL-CEMCA will provide further support and guidance to these organisations in the licensing and establishment process.