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DW
5 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Media development challenges in the Asia-Pacific region
Risk mitigation, sustainable funding, more research: Findings from State of Media Development Report for the Asia-Pacific region suggest that media development actors need to step up efforts in this part of the world. International assistance has long been recognized as a crucial pillar supporting public interest media across the Asia-Pacific region. From empowering exiled journalists, to sustaining watchdog journalism in fragile democracies and conflict zones, donor aid often serves as the lifeline. However, recent research led by DW Akademie, based on the OECD's six principles for effective media support and covering countries from Afghanistan to the Philippines reveals that donor aid is sometimes fragmented, poorly coordinated, and even unintentionally harmful. A snapshot of progress: The six OECD principles across Asia Principle 1: Do no harm to public interest media (minimally fulfilled) Principle 2: Increase financial and other assistance (not fulfilled at all) Principle 3: Take a whole-of-system perspective (partially fulfilled) Principle 4: Local leadership and ownership (partially fulfilled) Principle 5: Improve coordination (partially fulfilled) Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research and learning (minimally fulfilled) Principle 1: Ensure assistance does no harm The assessment reveals that in politically restrictive environments across much of the Asia/ Pacific region, international assistance has unintentionally put media development actors at risk of legal harassment, reputational harm, surveillance, and threats to their safety. For instance, a media development organization in Mongolia working with US donors faced accusations of leaking national secrets. Similarly, in India draconian foreign funding laws (such as the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act or FCRA) indirectly discourage media development actors. In Kazakhstan, a media development organization representative informed that they were confronted with politically motivated tax penalties and threats of a shutdown due to their association with international funders. Furthermore, donor logos and content oversight requirements — while designed for transparency and accountability — sometimes backfire by fueling accusations of foreign propaganda. This was mentioned by respondents from Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Despite these challenges, positive examples exist. In Mongolia, a media development organization adopted clear ethical funding policies refusing money from sources like tobacco companies to maintain editorial integrity. In Kazakhstan, a donor stepped in to cover politically motivated fines against an independent media outlet preventing its closure. Recommendations An important measure would be to integrate "do no harm" protocols into grant agreements avoiding visible donor branding in politically sensitive contexts and promoting ethical funding practices with mutual accountability between donors and local media to enhance safety, trust, and impact. Principle 2: Increase financial and other forms of support In much of the Asia-Pacific region, international assistance has unintentionally exposed media actors to legal risks, surveillance, and safety threats Image: Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto/picture alliance Chronic underfunding is a pervasive challenge for public interest media and media development organizations across Asia. Most media development organizations subsist on short-term project grants that barely cover operational costs, forcing them into precarious financial positions that increase vulnerability to burnout and eventual closure. Donors typically prioritize project-based funding tied to narrowly defined deliverables leaving little room for core expenses like salaries, rent, or capacity building. Furthermore, much of the funding flows into urban and dominant-language media, sidelining rural, minority-language, and hyper-local outlets that serve marginalized communities. This fragmentation extends to exile media which are additionally confronted by legal and financial barriers in accessing aid. Many donors also treat the media primarily as an instrument to advance other development goals rather than as a sector warranting direct, sustained investment. This mindset hampers funding for policy advocacy, legal reform, and organizational sustainability. A good practice in financial sustainability comes from the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) which serves as a bright spot by generating 80–85% of its revenue internally through membership fees, conferences, and capacity building programs. Recommendations Donors are called upon to shift their support to long-term, core funding, strengthening local revenue generation, and prioritizing marginalized, women-led, and exile media to ensure the sustainability of public interest media in Asia. Principle 3: Take a holistic approach to the information environment In Myanmar, inclusive strategies are increasingly supporting women-led, minority, and exile media Image: Olaf Schülke/picture alliance Media ecosystems in Asia-Pacific are diverse and interconnected yet donor programs often remain fragmented and urban-centric. Research shows donor assessments typically focus on capital cities, neglecting community radio, rural outlets, and minority-language media. As a Nepali expert noted, "You can't understand the media system if you only talk to NGOs in the capital." Critical issues like algorithmic bias, AI-generated misinformation, and digital surveillance remain underexplored. Donor strategies seldom integrate regulation, digital literacy, or policy reform, despite their growing importance for sustainable media development. In Nepal, India, and Afghanistan, locally led diagnostics are informing programming while in Pakistan and Myanmar, inclusive strategies now support women-led, minority, and exile media — marking notable good practices. Recommendations Comprehensive ecosystem diagnostics that capture diverse political, social, and technological contexts should be funded. They should integrate media literacy, digital regulation, and policy reform into media support and address digital risks like algorithmic bias and surveillance through holistic strategies. Principle 4: Strengthen local leadership and ownership Research shows donor assessments typically focus on capital cities, neglecting community radio, rural outlets, and minority-language media Image: Matthias Tödt/dpa/picture alliance In many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, international donors tend to control strategy and funding sidelining local media groups and treating them as subcontractors. Strict eligibility criteria, language barriers, and complex procedures exclude grassroots organizations. Local actors in Nepal, Myanmar, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan argue that most funding goes to international NGOs, despite local groups being better suited for impact. A South Asian media leader emphasized the need to "listen to the people they are trying to help." The research brings in positive examples including AMU TV run by Afghan journalists in exile, Nepal's community radio networks with participatory governance, and diaspora and minority-led media houses in Myanmar shaping editorial agendas rooted in their communities. Recommendation Direct funding to local and diaspora-led media should be prioritized using participatory design in funding decisions and simplifying and supporting grant processes to increase accessibility for grassroots organizations. Principle 5: Improve coordination among donors and development actors The research found that coordination across donors tends to be reactive, crisis-driven, and fragmented. Emergency situations—such as the fall of Kabul or Myanmar's military crackdown — catalyze rapid collaboration, but these are exceptions rather than the norm. Most of the time, overlapping funding cycles, inconsistent messaging, and duplicated efforts among media development organizations is prevalent. Poor data sharing, weak joint planning, and complex administrative requirements are reported by the key informants. It is important to note that coordination mechanisms rarely include local actors or emerging media such as digital creators and youth networks. Recommendations Country-level coordination groups should be created for donors, promoting information sharing, and aligning media support with broader governance and human rights efforts to enhance collaboration and impact. Principle 6: Invest in learning and innovation through research Investment in learning and research holds significant promise but remains chronically underfunded. While local actors are deeply committed to peer-learning, safety research, and analyzing digital threats, donor funding for such activities is inconsistent and insufficient. If there are research efforts, they tend to be informal, short-term, and heavily reliant on donor funding. Organizations in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nepal and other countries demonstrate strong commitments to monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive learning despite challenging conditions. South-South knowledge exchange models, such as AMIC's in the Philippines embed evaluation into programming and stimulate critical conversations on media issues. Recommendations Media development professionals across Asia call for more evidence-based, locally produced knowledge to guide programming and policy. They also emphasize journalism education to integrate emerging challenges like AI, misinformation, and changing audience behavior. Umesh Pokharel is the Asia Research Consultant for DW Akademie's State of Media Development 2025 research project. He previously served as the South Asia Coordinator for the International Federation of Journalists and has held diverse roles across media and development organizations throughout his career.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
NGOs providing last minute connectivity to govt welfare schemes
I have always held the view that among their other strengths, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and voluntary organisations have the commitment and the ability to stay with the people to monitor implementations of the programmes earmarked for them, until the benefits reach the intended beneficiaries, thus providing the all-important last mile connectivity link. Initiatives undertaken by government departments, on the other hand, often create a vacuum, when they withdraw, either because the programs have run their course, or when the funds have dried up, even if the goals are yet to be achieved. Also, government programmes rarely succeed in infusing the element of ownership to beneficiaries of the interventions, something which NGOs are especially good at doing. NGOs possess the last mile connectivity that can impact programmatic quality. Sometime ago, I was invited to join as a member of the Trust Board (TB) of the well-known NGO, Durgabai Deshmukh Mahila Sabha, reputed for its work for the underprivileged sections and, in particular, women, children and the physically and mentally challenged, apart from running well-known and much sought after educational and healthcare institutions. Despite my reluctance to accept commitments to render full justice, to which I may not have the time energy or, for that matter, the background, I accepted. My decision was in no small measure influenced by the knowledge that my mother, Papayamma, was a founder trustee of that great organisation. And it was my father, Bhimasankaram, who was, in fact, the first donor to the organisation, with the princely amount of a hundred rupees in those days! A proposal was recently mooted in the TB, suggesting that the organisation apply to the government of India for registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). That set me thinking about the subject of assistance to NGOs, particularly in view of the long association, that I have had with them. A relationship began way back in 1971, when, as the Sub Collector at Ongole in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, when I first met the charming and indefatigable Father Windy, a Belgian Jesuit priest, who was constructing a colony for tribals in a village just outside Chirala town, very imaginatively named Itanagar. In later days, I came to know the legendary Dr. B.V. Parameswara Rao, founder of the very well-known NGO 'Bhagavatula Charitable Trust' (BCT), which has been doing yeoman service to poor people, especially in agriculture and allied sectors, health, education and skill development. Impressed by the outstanding work being done by the organization, none other than the President of the World Bank at that time visited the area and personally congratulated Parameswara Rao. The work done by it in Self Help Groups of women, in association with the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), was later to result in NABARD becoming the arm of the state and central governments for upscaling the model. Years later, while serving as the Secretary to Sharda Mukherjee, Governor of Andhra Pradesh, an organization named 'Chetana' was founded by the Governor, primarily to provide assistance to the victims of the super cyclone and unprecedented tidal wave that hit the East Coast of Andhra Pradesh in 1977. Later, after moving from the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad to Krishna district as Collector, I founded 'Anveshana', an NGO that was to serve as a bridge between the district administration, the various departments of the government in charge of development programmes and the beneficiaries thereof. It was also then that I assisted the Governor in the discharge of her functions and responsibilities as the Chairman of the State Red Cross Society, a state level unit of the reputed humanitarian and charitable organisation, the International Red Cross Society which everybody has heard of. I had a close association with NGOs again, as the Additional Secretary in charge of the department of Land Resources, in the Ministry of Rural Development of the government of India, during which period I had the occasion to visit and observe the excellent work being done by the legendary Ramakrishna Mission at Belur, near the then Calcutta. It was also during the same period that I had the opportunity of observing from close quarters the functioning of the Council for Advancement of Peoples Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous body set up by the Ministry of Rural Development to interface between the government and NGOs, which seeks to improve the quality of life in India's rural areas. After my return to Hyderabad, upon completing my tenure as a member of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Delhi, and encouraged by the leisure I experienced after four decades of hectic activity, I started an organisation to address some of my very long cherished desires. Named 'Vaaradhi', it aims to serve as a platform for like-minded organisations – a forum for the exchange of views, pooling and sharing of experiences and focusing, primarily, on encouraging youth to become productive citizens of the country in the future. Coming back to the question of NGOs seeking and receiving support, it has been my experience that finances are not the only challenge they face. They often approach agencies and individuals for many other forms of support, including expertise in areas such as health care, education, agriculture, and skill development apart from project formulation. BCT, in particular, has been able to strike fruitful and productive partnerships with many organisations, including Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Tech Mahindra Foundation and Head and Heart for the Handicapped (HHH). Some NGOs prefer getting assistance from outside the country, especially from Non-Resident Indians (NRI)s and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) though such support is abundantly forthcoming from domestic sources, perhaps on account of personal contacts, or a shared commitment, to a cause or purpose. Unfortunately, however, the route has proved a convenient conduit for the murky business of religious conversions. Remittances from those residing abroad have also, on occasion, been used for nefarious, including terrorist, acts and are rightly perceived, by the central government, as a threat to the economic growth of the country. As a result, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010, was brought in, to regulate acceptance, and utilisation, of foreign contributions, in case it is detrimental to the national interest. The advantage with assistance secured from domestic organisations and individuals is that, it often comes without any strings attached. Assistance from agencies abroad not only generally entails compliance to various stipulations which may not only be difficult to comply with, but also may be at variance with the protocols and principles prescribed by the state and central governments. In monetary terms, the total outlay of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) alone is around ₹1.8 lakh crore annually, forming a substantial portion of the development budget across central and state governments. Foreign assistance through FCRA accounts for approximately ₹17,500 to ₹18,500 crore annually - just about 10% of MoRD's allocation - and only a fraction of that goes to rural development activities. Similarly, in the health sector, the contribution of NGOs is estimated to be between two and five per cent of the country's total health expenditure, based on past studies. These numbers indicate that while NGOs play a vital and catalytic role, their financial scale remains modest in comparison to public outlays. Every year, NGOs in India receive about ₹43,210 crore from local sources such as the mandatory contributions by corporate entities prescribed under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provision of the Companies Act 2013, high-net-worth individuals, and family trusts. Well over twice the amount they get from foreign contributions through FCRA, which averages around ₹17,776 crore annually. That being the case, I remain skeptical not only about the need for and desirability of taking the FCRA route, which may amongst to rushing in where angels fear to tread. Justifiably, or otherwise, the fact remains that, generally speaking, people repose little faith in governments. They would rather approach other agencies, either for redressal of their grievances, or fulfilling their requirements. Governments, as a matter of fact, are held in such little respect that someone said, 'I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts!' Another pertinent point, in this context, is that the archetypal Indian is in the habit of preferring the exotic to something the Telugu saying goes, food cooked in the neighbour's kitchen, is always tastier! (The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
State to tie up with hospitals and corporates to help needy patients
Mumbai: The state govt is initiating a three-way funding arrangement to improve healthcare access for underprivileged patients. The chief minister's medical assistance cell is currently negotiating with corporate entities and hospitals to establish this tripartite funding structure. "A portion of the patient's medical bill will be paid by a corporate house, and the state will also contribute a bit," said Rameshwar Naik, who heads the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Cell. The third partner would be the treating hospital itself. "We are trying to assess how much hospitals can contribute by reducing charges or providing free services," he added. The tripartite method would ensure more patients get help. "Instead of one corporate house helping one patient, the tripartite method will ensure more patients can be assisted," said a govt official. "The chief minister has also directed that we start crowdfunding efforts for patients who need specialised treatment that runs into lakhs or crores of rupees," said Naik, who heads the state's Charity Hospital Relief Cell. A few months back, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis linked the work of his medical assistance cell with the charity commissioner's office to ensure that economically needy patients get access to free beds and care in the various trust-run hospitals in the state. As charity trusts get concessions from the state, their hospitals have to provide 10% of the beds free of cost to families earning less than Rs 1.8 lakh per annum; another 10% of the beds are given at a subsidised rate to families earning less than Rs 3.6 lakh per annum. In the first six months of the year, 23,269 people were provided with Rs 149 crore in assistance by the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund and Charity Hospital Relief Cell. The state is the first to receive Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Maharashtra, enabling it to receive foreign donations for "social" programmes.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Maharashtra govt plans tripartite funding to aid needy patients
Mumbai: The state govt is initiating a three-way funding arrangement to improve healthcare access for underprivileged patients. The chief minister's medical assistance cell is currently negotiating with corporate entities and hospitals to establish this tripartite funding structure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "A portion of the patient's medical bill will be paid by a corporate house, and the state will also contribute a bit," said Rameshwar Naik, who heads the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Cell. The third partner would be the treating hospital itself. "We are trying to assess how much hospitals can contribute by reducing charges or providing free services," he added. The tripartite method would ensure more patients get help. "Instead of one corporate house helping one patient, the tripartite method will ensure more patients can be assisted," said a govt official. "The chief minister has also directed that we start crowdfunding efforts for patients who need specialised treatment that runs into lakhs or crores of rupees," said Naik, who heads the state's Charity Hospital Relief Cell. A few months back, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis linked the work of his medical assistance cell with the charity commissioner's office to ensure that economically needy patients get access to free beds and care in the various trust-run hospitals in the state. As charity trusts get concessions from the state, their hospitals have to provide 10% of the beds free of cost to families earning less than Rs 1.8 lakh per annum; another 10% of the beds are given at a subsidised rate to families earning less than Rs 3.6 lakh per annum. In the first six months of the year, 23,269 people were provided with Rs 149 crore in assistance by the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund and Charity Hospital Relief Cell. The state is the first to receive Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund of Maharashtra, enabling it to receive foreign donations for "social" programmes.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
ED registers money launderingcase against Chhangur Baba
Lucknow: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered a money laundering case against Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, the alleged mastermind of an illegal religious conversion syndicate in the state. ED is now preparing to take him into custody. The probe stems from suspected foreign remittances exceeding Rs 100 crore into around 40 bank accounts linked to the accused and his associates. ED has sought the details of income tax returns of all 40 entities of Chhangur Baba in the last 10 years and information about immovable properties from respective SRO (sub registrar office). The 40 entities under the scanner may have more than a hundred bank accounts. According to ED officials, the accused might have used these funds to coerce or lure people into conversion. ED officials have formally obtained a copy of the FIR from the UP Police to investigate the alleged flow of funds that allegedly fuelled a large-scale religious conversion racket. Ghanshyam Rohera, also known as Chhangur Baba and Jamaluddin, his wife Neetu Rohera aka Nasreen, son Mahboob, daughter Samale Rohera (Sabiha), Gunja Gupta (Alina), Abu Ansari, Meraj, Rashid, Shihabuddin, Sabroj, Ramzan, among others, have been named as accused in the case registered by the ATS. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invertir $112 en Cervecería Nacional CFD podría devolverte un segundo salario Empieza a invertir. EC Empieza ahora Undo ED will scrutinise the movable and immovable assets of the accused. A source said that Neetu Rohera received Rs 13.9 crore in her account in just four months via NEFT, with Rs 5 crore was reportedly deposited from another country. Ghanshyam Rohera (Jamaluddin) received Rs 16.22 crore and Rs 18.66 crore, respectively, in two accounts, besides fund transfers from UAE. Their daughter's passport listed no foreign travel, yet her conversion certificate indicates she underwent conversion abroad. The accused had acquired properties worth over Rs 100 crore in Balrampur and Pune. In Balrampur alone, plots worth Rs 1.5 crore were bought and developed into residential and commercial structures without legal land-use conversion. In Pune, over 2 lakh sq ft of land was purchased for Rs 16 crore under agreements shared with multiple stakeholders, including families of CGM court's staff. The focus of investigation will also be on whether these transactions violated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Chhangur Baba, Nasreen in 7-day ATS custody Lucknow: The Anti-terrorist squad (ATS) took Jamaluddin alias Chhangur Baba and his associate Neetu alias Nasreen into seven-day custody for interrogation. Additional director general (law & order) Amitabh Yash said the ATS would probe financial transactions, foreign funding sources, illegal properties, and conversion network being run by the gang. A copy of the FIR has been shared with the Enforcement Directorate which is likely to initiate a parallel probe into money laundering. Meanwhile, large-scale demolition drive continued for the third consecutive day at Chhangur Baba's mansion in Utraula, Balrampur district. Spread over three bighas along the Utraula–Mankapur main road, the Rs 3-crore property allegedly served as the hub for forced religious conversions. Eight bulldozers razed key parts of the mansion, including the main gate, an illegally constructed hospital, a 30x20 ft administrative block of an under-construction degree college, and a 50x20 ft stable. Officials said that five structural pillars were also demolished. Over three days, authorities have cleared nearly 700 sq ft of unauthorized construction and extracted approximately one lakh quintals of debris. According to tehsildar Satyapal Prajapati, demolition notices were issued on May 17, June 17, and July 7. However, no response was received from Chhangur Baba or Nasreen, prompting the administration to proceed with razing the illegal structure. ATS officials claimed that Baba changed Neetu's religion and used her name to acquire massive property. Officials confirmed that interrogation is now underway at the ATS headquarters, where both the accused are being questioned separately. Joint questioning sessions are expected in the coming days, and more arrests are likely. "All illegally acquired assets will be seized or demolished, and the full extent of the network is under scrutiny," the ADG, law and order, said.
