Meena Radio is being broadcasting for the first time in Hindi in Uttar Pradesh, the countrys largest state with a population of 191 million comparable to that of Brazil. Each 15-minute program has a story, a song and a game designed to entertain school children while encouraging them to think.
Meena has existed as a popular cartoon character for decades throughout the region and is recognized in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as India.
The radio program targets young people between the ages of 11 and 14, an age where they are prone to drop out of the school. In UP, the dropout rate in primary school is 25 per cent, but rises to 55 per cent in upper primary school, with more girls dropping out of school than boys.