Radio Upakaar @ 90.4 FM

Contact Person: Mr. Pratap Kishore Barik

Broadcasting Language: Odia, Local Dialect & Hindi

Genesis: Radio Upakaar was set up in 2020 by  Anchalika Vikas Samiti, and began active broadcast on 15th August,2020. Radio Upakaaris located in village Dhangadadiha in Ghatgaon Block, Keonjhar District of Odisha and mainly caters to a rural community. The CRS provides the community with information on various subjects and creates awareness about social problems, health concerns, disasters or mishaps. The content of the programmes is designed with a community-centric approach and focuses on issues that need immediate attention. The CRS had a humble beginning and is still young, but is committed to its service to the community. 

Thematic Focus: Radio Upakaar promotes the holistic development of the target community and focuses on areas like education, healthcare, women empowerment, nature conservation, youth empowerment, etc. The CRS focuses on fostering an inclusive attitude in the society and promotes social harmony and national unity through its programmes. 

Sustainable Development Goals: The SDGs that Radio Upkaar focuses on are:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 13: Climate Action

Primetime Programmes: : The primetime programmes are Nua Sakalara Katha, Chasabasa, Swasthya Sankalp, Radio Pathapadha, Amrit Mahotsav, and Kathare Kathare.

Nua Salakara Katha is a programme that provides the latest updates about the community and the region to the listeners. It also informs the listeners about the upcoming events in the community. Chasabasa is an agricultural programme that addresses the concerns of the farmers and shares information related to subjects like weather conditions, soil fertility, pesticides, seasonal farming, techniques to produce better yield, etc. The programme often features an expert agriculturist or farmer. Swastya Sankalp is a programme that promotes the adoption of healthy lifestyle practices and nutrition in the community. It also addresses various health conditions and seasonal diseases. Radio Pathapadha is an educational programme for children which discusses different topics and subjects related to education. The programme often features teachers from local schools.  Amrit Mahotsav is a discussion on the rich culture and heritage of the community, state, and the country. Kathare Kathare is an interview programme that features distinguished personalities and local community members. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Radio Upakaar also narrowcasts its programmes and the CRS is an active proponent of community recording. The programmes are recorded outside and by engaging the community. This practice improves community participation and helps the CRS to build a strong relationship with the community. The CRS has established six media centres in the community and numerous listener groups, which are supported by volunteers and reporters,

Core Team: The CRMC members at Radio Upakaar include a doctor, artist, educationalist, farmers, social workers and two women community members (including the sarpanch.  The core team at Radio Upakaar is constituted by eight members which include the Executive Director, Programme Manager, Programme, Director, Programme Executive, Coordinator, and support staff who handle different responsibilities and contribute to the seamless functioning of the CRS. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Upakaar has collaborated with numerous leading organisations like UNICEF, CRA, and Young India on a wide range of areas that include initiatives on healthcare, nutrition, vaccination drives, amongst others. 

Sustainable Strategies: Radio Upakaar is financially and technically supported by its parent organisation. The CRS also generates revenue through collaborative efforts with different organisations. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: There are 1,75,000 people who live within the broadcast range of Radio Upakaar, and the CRS has an active listener base of 86,000 listeners.

Major concerns in the Community: Radio Upakaar collects regular feedback from its listeners through the community media centres. The main concerns in the community are issues related to health, education, drinking water, etc. The community is also affected by socio-economic problems. They also need to be educated about different welfare schemes of the government so that they can benefit from them.