1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Act may be called the Prasar Bharati
(Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date1
as the Central Government may, by notification, appoint.
2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a) “Akashvani” means the offices, stations and other establishments, by whatever name called,
which, immediately before the appointed day, formed part of or were under the Director-General,
All India Radio of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting;
(b) “appointed day” means the date appointed under section 3;
(c) “broadcasting” means the dissemination of any form of communication like signs, signals,
writing, pictures, images and sounds of all kinds by transmission of electro-magnetic waves through
space or through cables intended to be received by the general public either directly or indirectly
through the medium of relay stations and all its grammatical variations and cognate expressions shall
be construed accordingly;
(d) “Board” means the Prasar Bharati Board;
(e) “Broadcasting Council” means the Council established under section 14;
(f) “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Corporation appointed under section 4;
(g) “Corporation” means the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) established under
section 3;
(h) “Doordarshan” means the offices, kendras and other establishments, by whatever name called,
which, immediately before the appointed day, formed part of or were under the Directorate-General,
Doordarshan of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting;
(i) “elected Member” means a Member elected under section 3;
(j) “Executive Member” means the Executive Member appointed under section 4;
(k) “kendra” means any telecasting centre with studios or transmitters or both and includes a relay
station;
(l) “Member” means a Member of the Board;
(m) “Member (Finance)” means the Member (Finance) appointed under section 4;
(n) “Member (Personnel)” means the Member (Personnel) appointed under section 4;
(o) “Nominated Member” means the Member nominated by the Union Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting under section 3;
1. 15th September, 1997, vide notification No. S.O. 509(E), dated 22nd July, 1997, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II,
sec. 3(ii).
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(p) “Non-lapsable Fund” means the Fund created from the commercial revenues of Akashvani
and Doordarshan to meet expenditure on certain schemes;
(q) “notification” means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(r) “Part-time Member” means a Part-time Member of the Board appointed under section 4, but
does not include an ex officio Member, the Nominated Member or an elected Member;
(s) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(t) “Recruitment Board” means a board established under sub-section (1) of section 10;
(u) “regulations” means regulations made by the Corporation under this Act;
(v) “station” means any broadcasting station with studios or transmitters or both and includes a
relay station;
(w) “Whole-time Member” means the Executive Member, Member (Finance) or
Member (Personnel);
(x) “year” means the financial year.