The Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) has launched on trial the news service in the Maithili and Nepal Bhasa languages from today.
RSS Executive Chairman Dharmendra Jha marked the beginning of the two services by disseminating news on both the languages.
The two languages are new additions to the RSS news service as part its content diversification campaign.
The inclusion of the languages reflects the inclusion underlined by the constitution. The Abadhi language is already in use for eight months at RSS.
“News dissemination in two more mother languages was marked with an aim to make RSS services more inclusive as per the aspiration of the constitution,” the RSS Executive Chairman said.
He viewed that every citizen should have an access to public information in their own languages in an understandable format adding that people’s right to get information should be ensured. “On the same basis, RSS has made efforts to run news services in mother languages. Nepal is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural country, an
d the RSS like state-owned news agency has its impacts. We also have people’s expectations. Our priority should be to disseminate news in the languages as expected by the people,” Jha stated.
Chairman Jha said that disseminating news in mother languages is also to implement the Right to Information.
RSS decided to launch the news service in Maithili and Nepal Bhasa languages after two year’s research and study. The new facility would be provided free of cost to its subscribers. Maithili is the second most spoken language in Nepal.
RSS got government support through the annual budget for the introduction of Abadhi, Maithali and Nepal Bhasa languages, Chairman Jha reminded, adding, “RSS tries its best to prove the meaning and relevance of these additions.
RSS General Manager Siddharaj Rai said that RSS started news in the mother language for the first time in its 63-year-long journey.
He said that the new services are being marked with support from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The Nepal Bhasa and Maithili news bulletins would be published from central office, Kathmandu.
RSS Senior Executive Manager Shital Prasad Mahato said that Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung would inaugurate the official beginning of the Nepal Bhasa and Maithili news bulletins on October 20.
The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 has finely mentioned that all national languages should be treated equally. It has made the State responsible to protect and promote these languages. Language is indeed an integral part of a nation’s civilization.
The RSS has been working continuously for its service diversification. Currently, it provides news, feature, commentary and opinion in Nepal and English languages while photo, and video services are other regular services. The Abadhi language was introduced at RSS news service since the beginning of the year, 2024.
Moreover, the RSS, which had been disseminating news for 17 hours a day, extended 7 more hours to run the service round-the-
clock since September 2.
Earlier on August 16, a news museum was inaugurated at RSS by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung.
Source: National News Agency Nepal