Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla jointly launched Sansad TV on Wednesday on the occasion of International Day of Democracy.

Sansad TV is a merger of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV channels which showcase the democratic ethos and the functioning of democratic institutions of the country.

It will aim to target national and international audiences through its content, said in PIB release.

Speaking at the launch, PM Modi said that Sansad TV will add another important chapter to India’s parliamentary system.

“Today is International Day of Democracy, hence the launch has become more relevant. When it comes to democracy, India’s responsibilities increases. India is the mother of democracy. For us, democracy is not just a constitutional structure, but a spirit, it’s ‘jeevan dhara’,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that the new channel will be available on OTT platforms, social media and have a separate mobile app as well.

The programming of Sansad TV will primarily be in four categories – functioning of Parliament and democratic institutions, governance and implementation of schemes, policies, history, and culture of India, and issues, interests, concerns of contemporary nature.

On the launch of Sansad TV, VP Naidu said, “Debated in legislatures throw up solutions to problems but disruptions only dissipate collective energies and delay the task of building a ‘new India’”.

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 of real-time communication and sharing of information, Naidu said.

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

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 viewpoints 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 programs to the people, he said.

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

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

Former J&K Governor Karan Singh and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will host shows for Sansad TV.