News Broadcasting

Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar 2002 Awardees

Published

25 years ago

September 12, 2001

Swar Ratna – Shri Sudhir Phadke, the doyen of Marathi light music, is one of the most popular music directors and singers of our time. Born on 25 July, 1919, Shri Phadke had his initial training in vocal classical music from the late Shri Vamanrao Padhye in Kolhapur. Starting his career in 1941 with His Master’s Voice, Phadke moved on to the Prabhat Film Company as music director in 1946. He has about 110 films to his credit as music director, 20 of which are Hindi films. He has received several awards for his music direction as well as singing during his illustrious career. His home production, Ha Maaza Marga Ekala has won the Rashtrapati award in 1963. A record creating achievement of his career is the music composition of the Geet Ramayana, rendered in lyrical form by the poet GD Madgulkar.

Chitra Ratna – Smt Sulochana is a face well known to Maharashtrians the world over. Starting her career with Bhalji Pendharkar’s Maharathi Karna in 1943, Sulochana has acted in over 150 Marathi films and over 250 Hindi films till date. So far, she has been honoured with the V Shantaram Puraskar of the Maharashtra government, and several awards from various organisations. Among the films she has starred in are Mith Bhakar, Chimni Pakhare, Jaya Bhavani, Jivacha Sakha and Bala jo jo re.

Ratna Darpan – Shri DB Karnik is a name familiar to all Maharashtrians. He is credited with starting four publications in Maharashtra. The first of these was Dainik Sangram. He was instrumental, as founder editor, of turning the Maharashtra Times into a dynamic, people oriented newspaper. A disciple of the revolutionary MN Roy, he was jailed in Dhulia jail for participating in the Indian freedom struggle.

Ratna Sharada – Smt Prema Purao is a name that spells succour for scores of destitute women in the state of Maharashtra. The founder of the Annapurna Mahila Mandal, she helped tap their talents and skills in which they excelled. Closely involved in the Goa freedom struggle and the Samyukta Maharastra Andolan, she was imprisoned while working as an active trade unionist for nine months in the 1960s. She started the Annapurna Mahila Mandal in 1973 with a group of 14 women with the help of loans from nationalised banks for generating self employment for women in the state. The Mandal’s membership has today grown to over 200,000. She has been honoured with the Padmashree, the Baya Karve Award and Com Datta Deshmukh award, among others.

Natya Ratna – Shri Vijay Tendulkar ranks among the best playwrights this country has seen. Well known for plays like, Sakharam Binder, Kamala and Khamosh, Adalat Jari Hai, 1972 was a landmark year for Tendulkar as well as for Indian vernacular theatre – his Marathi play Ghashiram Kotwal made waves by its brilliant use of traditional folk forms in modern contemporary theatre. Born in 1928, Tendulkar started his literary life as a writer of short stories before moving on to write plays and film scripts. Tendulkar, who has written screen-plays for films like Manthan; Nishant, Ardh Satya and Aakrosh, was awarded the Pabmabhushan in 1984.

Seva Ratna – Shri Baba Amte and the cause of the downtrodden are almost synonymous in India today. Baba is a living legend of our time and a shining example of the Gandhian spirit and approach to current and compelling social problems of the country. By crusading for human dignity and sustainable development he has sought to arouse the inner vitality of our society and invest it with sanity, peace and compassion. Anandwan, which he set up for leprosy patients, provides, through a creative combination of medical intervention, rehabilitation and economic regeneration, self-esteem and self-reliance to leprosy affected people thus translating the ideal of Mahatma Gandhi to make the victims of leprosy “as much a part of society as the tallest among us”. Starting with leprosy-affected people, Amte’s work covered education in health and hygiene, village sanitation, village industries, communal unity and removal of untouchability and work among tribals and the youth of the country. He has introduced at Anandwan and other tribal areas rain-harvesting experiments for augmenting agricultural production. How he organized the youth of India in the “Knit India Movement” across the East and the West, the North and the South of the country, is a saga of our times. He has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize, 1999, among several other awards.

Vaibhav Ratna – Shri Rahul Bajaj, apart from heading the Bajaj group of companies, has several accomplishments to his credit. A Harvard graduate, he has been the CEO of Bajaj Auto since 1968. Today, the company is India’s premier two and three wheeler manufacturer. Bajaj Auto received Dalal Street Journal’s Corporate Excellence Award for 1990 & 1995 (Rank I). In recognition of his contribution to the automotive industry, the Government of India appointed Bajaj as the Chairman of the Development Council for Automobiles and Allied Industries, 1975-77. Bajaj was Chairman of Indian Airlines between 1986-89. Bajaj was appointed by the Government of India as the Chairman of Technology Development Advisory Group on Technology Trends in Automobiles – August 1991. Bajaj was Chairman of the World Business Council of the World Economic Forum and continues to be its Member. Bajaj is a Member of the New York Stock Exchange’s Asia Pacific Advisory Committee as well as a Member of the Asia Pacific Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School. FIE Foundation awarded Mr. Bajaj the Rashtrabhushan Award in 1996. Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust awarded Mr. Bajaj the Tilak Award in 2000. Government of India Conferred the Padma Bhushan to Mr. Bajaj in March 2001. He has done more than what the state of Maharashtra could have hoped for from a true son.

Ratna Saurabh – Shri Nandu Natekar is a name well known to all Maharashtrians, not just the badminton buff. One of the earliest awardees of the Arjuna Award in 1961, Natekar had the distinction of reaching the quarter finals in the men’s singles in the All England Championships in 1954 in London, semi finals in the All American at Niagara Falls in 1980, 1981 and runner up in 1982. Several titles dot his illustrious badminton career. He has represented India at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica in 1965, and has been honoured at the Jagatik Marathi Parishad in Mauritius in 1991. He was included among ‘the Greats’ in a souvenir published by Malaysia during the Thomas Cup series in 1954-55

Ratna Vahini Yogadaan – Doordarshan Sahyadri, the channel closest to the Marathi viewers, has retained its appeal, despite stiff competition from satellite channels that have mushroomed in the last few years. With programming designed to draw in the intellectual as well as the discerning viewer, its interactive shows and news programming have a huge following.

Related Topics:Bala jo jo re Chimni Pakhare Jaya Bhavani Jivacha Sakha Mith Bhakar Shri Sudhir Phadke

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News Broadcasting

Barc forensic audit in TRP row awaits as Twenty-Four probe gathers pace

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

KERALA: A forensic audit commissioned by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has emerged as the centrepiece of the government’s response to fresh allegations of television rating point manipulation involving a regional news channel in Kerala, with both the audit findings and a parallel police investigation still awaited.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan, said Barc had appointed an independent agency to conduct a forensic probe into the conduct of senior personnel allegedly linked to the case.

The move followed media reports claiming that a Barc employee had accepted bribes to manipulate viewership data in favour of a regional television news channel.

“The report from BARC is still awaited,” Murugan told Parliament, signalling that the forensic exercise remains ongoing.

Industry specialists say forensic audits are crucial in alleged TRP fraud cases, as they examine internal controls, data access trails, panel household integrity, staff communications and financial transactions. The outcome could determine whether the alleged manipulation was an isolated breach or a deeper systemic weakness in India’s television measurement framework.

Running alongside the audit, the Kerala Police has formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The ministry has sought a preliminary report from the state’s director general of police, including details of action taken on the first information report. That report, too, is yet to be submitted.

The episode has revived long-standing concerns over the vulnerability of India’s TRP system, particularly in regional news markets where competition for ratings is fierce and advertising revenues hinge on weekly viewership rankings.

India’s sole television audience measurement body Barc, has faced scrutiny before, most notably during the nationwide TRP controversy involving news channels in 2020. While tighter compliance norms were introduced in the aftermath, the latest allegations suggest enforcement challenges may persist.

On regulatory consequences, the government said any punitive action against television channels, including suspension or cancellation of uplinking and downlinking permissions, would be governed by the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels issued in November 2022, and would depend on investigation outcomes and due process.

The ministry also pointed to ongoing efforts to overhaul the ratings ecosystem. Television measurement continues to be regulated under the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, 2014. Draft amendments were released for public consultation in July 2025, followed by a revised version in November 2025, aimed at tightening audit mechanisms and improving transparency and representativeness.

In November 2025, Barc said it had taken note of allegations aired by Malayalam news channel Twenty-Four, which linked an internal employee to irregularities in audience measurement. The council said it had engaged a “reputed independent agency” to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, underscoring the seriousness of the claims.

The ratings system sits at the heart of India’s broadcast advertising economy, shaping billions of rupees in annual ad spends. With trust in audience data once again under strain, advertisers, broadcasters and regulators are closely watching the outcome of the investigations.

Barc has urged industry stakeholders and media organisations to exercise restraint while the probe is underway, calling for an end to “unverified or speculatory claims” and reiterating its commitment to integrity and accountability.

Until the forensic audit and police findings are submitted and reviewed, the government said it would refrain from drawing conclusions.

News Broadcasting

Rajat Sharma defamation row: Delhi court summons Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered the summoning of senior Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh in a criminal case filed by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma, sharpening a legal battle over alleged defamation and doctored digital content.

The order was passed on Monday by Devanshi Janmeja, judicial magistrate first class at Saket Courts, after the court found prima facie grounds to proceed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery, creation of false electronic records and defamation.

Sharma, chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV, had approached the court over allegations made in June 2024 that he had used derogatory language against Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak during a live television debate. He denied the charge, claiming it was fuelled by a manipulated video circulated online.

According to the complaint, a clipped version of the broadcast carrying superimposed captions, which were not part of the original programme, was first shared on social media platform X by Nayak and later amplified through retweets and public statements by Khera and Ramesh. Sharma said the viral spread caused serious reputational harm and personal distress.

The court took note of forensic science laboratory findings that pointed to visible post-production alterations in the video, including added titles and captions. It also cited witness testimonies from those present during the live broadcast, who stated that no abusive or objectionable language had been used.

In a related civil matter, the Delhi High Court had earlier observed a prima facie absence of abusive remarks and directed the removal of the disputed social media posts.

With criminal proceedings now set in motion, the case adds to mounting scrutiny around political messaging, digital manipulation and accountability on social media platforms.

News Broadcasting

Mukesh Ambani, Larry Fink come together for CNBC-TV18 exclusive

Reliance and BlackRock chiefs map the future of investing as global capital eyes India

Published

1 month ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: India’s capital story takes centre stage today as Mukesh Ambani and Larry Fink sit down for a rare joint television conversation, bringing together two of the most powerful voices in global business at a moment of economic churn and opportunity.

The Reliance Industries chief and the BlackRock boss will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, in an exclusive interaction airing from 3:00 pm on February 4. The timing is deliberate. Geopolitics are tense, technology is disruptive and capital is choosier. India, meanwhile, is pitching itself as a long-term bet.

The pairing is symbolic. Reliance straddles energy transition, digital infrastructure and consumer growth in the world’s fastest-expanding major economy. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, oversees more than $14 tn in assets and sits at the nerve centre of global capital flows. When the two talk, markets tend to listen.

Fink’s appearance marks his third India visit, a signal of the country’s rising strategic weight for the Wall Street-listed firm, which carries a market value above $177 bn. His earlier 2023 trips included an October stop in New Delhi, where he met both Ambani and Narendra Modi.

India is now central to BlackRock’s expansion plans, notably through its joint venture with Jio Financial Services. Announced in July 2023, the 50:50 venture, JioBlackRock, commits up to $150 mn each from the partners to build a digital-first asset-management platform aimed at India’s swelling investor class.

The backdrop is robust. BlackRock ended 2025 with record assets under management of $14.04 tn, helped by $698 bn in net inflows, including $342 bn in the fourth quarter alone. Scale gives Fink both heft and a long lens on where money is moving.

He has been openly bullish on India. At the Saudi-US Investment Summit in Riyadh last year, Fink argued that the “fog of global uncertainty is lifting”, with capital returning to dynamic markets such as India, drawn by reforms, demographics and durable return potential.

Expect the conversation to range beyond balance sheets, into technology’s role in finance, access to capital and the mechanics of sustainable growth in a fracturing world order. For investors and policymakers alike, it is a snapshot of how big money is thinking about India.

At a time when capital is cautious and growth is contested, India wants to be the exception. When Ambani and Fink share a stage, it is less a chat and more a signal. The world’s money is still looking for its next big story, and India intends to be it.