Not for those below 12

With technology such as Direct-to-Home a reality, and increasing foreign content on television channels, there is need to ensure that there are suitable programmes for children, says N. BHASKARA RAO. A three-day UNICEF meet on the issue begins on September 16.

THE number of children in India - over 230 million - is higher than the total population of several countries put together. Many rural children between five and 14 years do not go to school. In fact, in the case of girls, only one out of three goes to school against 80 per cent in the case of urban boys of the same age.

Studies across different parts of the country have shown that children view "entertaining" programmes more than "educational" and "informative" ones. Television in India is primarily viewed as an entertainer.

Television is in fact more than a "foster parent", given that children view more than 10 hours of TV during weekends. There have been instances of public demonstrations and protests by teachers and parents over the influence of television on children. In fact, there have been court judgments linking criminal or deviant behaviour of children and youth to TV programmes. Despite provisions in the Constitution, no effort has been made to use this medium to reduce school dropout rates or to improve children's knowledge.

National concern

Political parties are concerned only with welfare programmes. Against this background, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) deserves praise for its recent initiative in using television to educate children. Manifestoes of political parties are confined to issues like education, child survival, child labour, mid-day meals, street children and protection of the girl child. The fact that no party has mentioned anything about children's television shows that the subject has not yet become a subject of national concern. However, in its recent manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it will "ensure providers of broadcasting services a high priority on the protection of children from exposure to programmes that may be harmful to them". However, nothing has been done. There has not been any concerted private initiative on children's television either.

Media policy

Now forgotten, the Paswan Committee (1996) on National Media Policy specifically recommended more infrastructural facilities for production of animation films in the hope that it would encourage children's films. It also recognised the need for more outlets for exhibition of children's films across India. The Prasar Bharati Board has not even looked into the kind of obligations that a "public broadcaster" need to have towards children.

Most policies in the social sector, whether on health, education, nutrition or labour, do refer to children. However, the need for a "policy" or a "strategy" for children's television was neither realised, nor mooted. Although the country has a "Children's Book Trust" and "Children's Film Society" to "promote" good traditions/practices in the context of television, no such agency was mooted. Realising the need to promote "healthy films" for children, the Government, more than two decades ago, introduced a series of promotional incentives, including subsidies for production, special infrastructure and awards for scripts. But then, perhaps the kind of commercial compulsions were different in the case of "cinema" and then there was no "ratings trap" as in the case of television.

The Children's Film Society was renamed the National Centre of Films for Children and Young People (NCYP). It is engaged in the production of creative films, television serials and short animation films. It also holds its own national and international film festivals. It dubs specially produced children's films in local languages and utilises the national television network.

The lack of political concern for children is clear from the fact that the National Children's Board constituted about 20 years ago under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister is languishing without a revision in its mandate and constitution of a board. There is also the Indian Council of Child Welfare, not very vibrant today though it is perhaps one of the foremost non- governmental organisations receiving grant-in-aid to promote the cause of children. There was no television when these bodies were constituted.

Specific initiatives

In the context of children and television, three initiatives could be mentioned. First, the realisation that television could be used for promoting school education like school broadcasts, both on radio and television. The second was to include in the advertising code, specific references to children. The third was to ensure certain time chunks for children's programmes.

Nevertheless, none of these aspects acquired a larger and serious dimension. But other television programmes, particularly serials and film-based ones, attract more children than those meant for children.

Despite "school television" in the initial years of television in India, it has not become part of the curriculum, not even as a supportive medium. In fact, television and school operations are set on a parallel course, independent of each other. The position today is that there is hardly any serious official attention in the matter of school related television operations.

Role of parents and teachers

Disciplining child viewers is a recent phenomenon. It is slowly, but steadily, progressing in homes. According to a Centre for Media Studies (CMS) study in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, parents show concern about the viewing habits of their children. Teachers in Kolkata publicly demonstrated against television. Not so in the northern States. Even teachers in the South are more concerned about the effects of television on their pupils. Some methods of regulating children include: not allowing children to operate the set; allowing them to view selected programmes; allowing them to watch only after completing school work and setting fixed times for viewership.

So far there is no move to introduce certain technical features in the television set or certain conditions in broadcasting itself, although in the United States, certain initiatives were taken recently to give control at the viewer's end, like pre- viewing or prior indication of the nature of the programme, so that "harmful programmes" could be avoided.

With the recent influx of satellite based channels and programmes, children's programmes produced in India have received a setback. Foreign programmes are being dubbed into local languages. "Children's programmes" have become synonymous with foreign "cartoon films". For want of resources, there is little that the NCYP can do. All that it has done recently was to broadcast "Jungle Book" in different languages.

Advertising and children

Even the Doordarshan(DD)/All India Radio (AIR) code refers to children's welfare as one of its objectives. The code for advertising is conscious of "implications" to children of certain broadcasts and realises the scope for misuse of media by interested groups. The advertising code emphasises that special attention must be paid to advertisements related to vulnerable groups such as women and children. No advertisement for a product or service shall be accepted if it suggests in any way that "unless the children themselves buy, they will be failing in their duty or lacking in loyalty to any person or organisation". An advertisement that endangers the safety of children or creates interest in unhealthy practices shall not be accepted. However, there is no monitoring to ensure that these provisions are observed and ensured.

Changes and developments connected with television in the absence of a policy and wider awareness could be detrimental to children. Policy makers have not yet realised the urgency to address the issues involved, although there is of late a realisation for a "comprehensive policy" on Indian television.

No research backup

Whatever studies have been undertaken hitherto on television and children in India are ad hoc, in isolation, at the micro level, mostly quantitative and more often market/consumption (advertising) oriented.

The impact of television on children, including programmes meant for them is hardly studied. In fact, no time series data is available on viewership among children and the impact and role of television on issues of concern like children's survival, protection and development, since children are viewed as a medium for promoting consumerism. Channel owners do not appear to be very concerned about the impact of television viewership of children. Despite highly developed academic bodies, children's television hardly attracted their attention.

A policy outlook on the status and future of children in a country like India is essential but not a good enough condition to make a difference to the future of a generation. First and foremost is concern among academics and policy planners on the need to understand the scope of television and track the impact of its contents in the context of today's children and tomorrow's citizens. We need benchmarks and base lines. The second, parents and teachers need to consider it their responsibility to ensure certain viewing discipline, discriminative viewing and discerning culture at homes and schools. Third is for the civil society's interest and corporate support as proposed by the CII.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Rich tapestry of embroidery
Next     : Politics of 'hereditary' crime