Disruptive noise should not drown voice of people: VP at Sansad TV launch

Stressing on the need to have meaningful debates echoing people's aspirations in Parliament and legislatures, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said loud disruptive noise should not drown the voice of citizens.

Addressing an event to mark the launch of Sansad TV, a result of the merger of Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV channels, he also said that debates should amplify concerns, clarify doubts and deepen shared understanding.

Debates in legislatures throw up solutions to problems but disruptions only dissipate collective energies and delay the task of building a 'new India', Naidu pointed out.

Expansion of the media in the country, particularly television, has been phenomenal, he noted.

The recent emergence and rapid expansion of social media and digital media has added another dimension to real-time communication and sharing of information, Naidu said.

With speed and the compulsion to be the first with breaking news occasionally overriding all other considerations, people are confronted with the challenges of "fake news" and "sensationalism", he felt.

Naidu said that separating truth from falsehood has become a real challenge.

However, people can legitimately be proud of the press which has zealously preserved its freedom over these years and given people multiple view points on issues that matter, the Rajya Sabha chairman said.

He said a single channel for Parliament has become a reality after careful consideration of the recommendations of a committee set up in November 2019.

Much thought and preparation has gone into the merger of Lok Sabha Television (LSTV) and Rajya Sabha Television (RSTV) channels, Naidu said.

LSTV has been functioning for 15 years and RSTV for 10 years providing live coverage of the proceedings of respective Houses as well as other informative programmes to the people, he said.

The new combined channel is expected to bring in synergy and economies of scale, he said.

It is significant that Sansad TV is being launched today to coincide with the International Day of Democracy, Naidu noted.