In a bid to change the face of education in Bihar, the state Government will soon set up Frequency Modulation radio stations in schools across the state to make education more effective and user-friendly. Initially, the Government will set up FM stations in 11 high schools in Patna and Nalanda.

“The Government will select more schools later,” said Minister for Information and Public Relations Arjun Rai.

The decision to set up school radio stations was taken in view of the fact that the world was using information technology for easy access to knowledge, the minister said. “The programmes will be informative and make students aware about community development, health and disaster management,” he said.

The FM radio stations will be heard within a radius of five to 10 km. These will also revive folk music and art and provide opportunities to local people to generate employment.

The state Government has already applied for licence and the decision is pending with the Centre. “The radio station will air four to five hours of programme daily,” an official in the Information and Public Relations Department said.

The core programming will be done in Patna and the peripheral programming in the districts. The channels will host phone-in programmes, featuring guest lectures, career counselling, and quizzes.

According to Government estimate, the cost of setting up one Community Radio Station (CRS) is Rs 4,80,000. The cost of studio, which is optional, is estimated at Rs 2,30,000. The operational cost per station is Rs 46,965 per month and the expected monthly revenue per CRS is Rs 50,400. Sixty per cent of the cost will be borne by the HRD department of the state and the remaining will be taken as loan from banks. To recover the money incurred, advertisements from local entrepreneurs will be invited. The FM radio stations will also come in handy for the state Government’s publicity department.