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Tag: Chief Minister

  • UP CM provides Rs 10 lakh aid to family of journalists who succumbed to Covid-19

    UP CM provides Rs 10 lakh aid to family of journalists who succumbed to Covid-19

    Mumbai: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial aid to the families of journalists who lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic. The families of scribes were provided a cheque of Rs 10 lakh each.

    Adityanath was accompanied by India TV editor-in-chief and chairman Rajat Sharma, who also paid tributes to the deceased journalists.

    “TV, print, digital journalists not only covered news during the lockdown, but they also worked as a bridge between the government and the common people. I am proud to say that people from the media fraternity faced the challenge bravely,” said Sharma, adding that there were also times when people stepped out of their homes but did not follow the COVID-19 protocols. “During such times too, our reporters and camera persons spoke to people and questioned them. Some even disrespected journalists upon questioning, however, they continued to do their job and even urged the people to wear masks and follow the coronavirus protocols.”

    Sharma said as the president of NBA, he had also urged the chief minister to provide vaccination for journalists. “The coronavirus pandemic is yet not over and those who have yet not received their vaccination jab should go for it at the earliest,” he added.

    “Over 25 thousand journalists were vaccinated during the drive,” said the chief minister Yogi Adityanath. During the second wave of the pandemic, many journalists across the country got infected on duty and lost their lives, leaving their families helpless, the UP government said.

  • Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    Journalists should be vaccinated on priority: Arvind Kejriwal

    New Delhi: As the country struggles to combat the second wave of Covid2019 cases, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that journalists should also be treated as ‘frontline workers’ and be considered eligible for the ongoing vaccination drive.

    An increasing number of journalists are getting infected with the novel Coronavirus while reporting from the ground. Some of them even lost their lives in the past year. “Journalists are reporting from most adverse situations. They should be treated as frontline workers and should be allowed vaccination on priority. Delhi government is writing to the Centre in this regard,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

    Uttarakhand has already announced Covid2019 vaccinations for journalists without any age restrictions and ordered to set up vaccination centres for them in the state. "During the ongoing pandemic, the journalists in the state worked like frontline workers in providing the required information to the people about Covid2019 which helped the government significantly," Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat had said on 4 April.

    India had kickstarted the vaccination drive on 16 January with two vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin, which were administered to the frontline workers including doctors and hospital staff. The second phase of the vaccination drive began on 1 March, when persons above 60 years of age and those with co-morbidities were permitted to take the jabs. The third phase began on 1 April for people aged above 45 years.

    The government has recently approved another vaccine, Russia's Sputnik V, for emergency use.

    Meanwhile, in yet another alarming spike, India recorded over 1.84 lakh fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. The daily average of caseloads across the country crossed 1.5 lakh last week. The country has lost as many as 1,000 lives during the last 24 hours. The soaring cases have left the hospitals over-burdened, with a shortage of medical supplies including hospital beds and oxygen cylinders.

  • DD Sports to telecast Indigenous Games Festival

    DD Sports to telecast Indigenous Games Festival

    NEW DELHI: DD Sports, the country’s only free-to-air (FTA) sports channel, will be telecasting the Indigenous Games, which commenced today (10 December) in Imphal.

     

    Slated to continue till 12 December, the Games bring together the indigenous people from different states of the country to showcase unique sports.

     

    The events will also be packaged and showcased on other channels of Doordarshan.

     

    The first edition of the Games was held in Mizoram. Manipur has a rich history and legacy in the indigenous games and the idea is to bring this forth to the national audience.

     

    The second edition of the Indigenous Games Festival commenced with the opening ceremony in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. The 60-minute opening ceremony showcased the ethnic culture of the native states to the larger television audience.

     

    With an estimated population of 84.3 million, Indigenous people comprise 8.2 per cent of the India’s population.

     

    Like the National Games, Indigenous games are no ordinary sporting competition as they provide an opportunity to show to the country some of the oldest forms of human civilization. India has conducted national games starting from 1924 but this is the first time tribes from all over the country will come together  to compete.

  • Aaj Tak to hold political conclave for Bihar elections

    Aaj Tak to hold political conclave for Bihar elections

    MUMBAI: The political news event Panchayat Aaj Tak is back to set the tone of the Bihar elections. The event will make sense of the political environment ahead of the critical Bihar elections. 

     

    The Conclave is scheduled for 15 September in Patna and will see top political faces discussing issues in the nation’s most gripping state election.

     

    The lineup of the speakers will include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, President RJD and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. 

     

    The other stalwarts at the conclave in Patna will witness the likes of Minister of Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad, MoS for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi amongst others.  

     

    The political leadership from the ruling and opposition parties besides other personalities from the Bihar political landscape will discuss the state’s biggest issues in the run up to the elections.

     

     The day is expected to see heated debates on various topics that will add perspective to the state politics and the choice ahead for voters.

  • NBA condemns assault on mediapersons in Hissar, wants action against policemen

    NBA condemns assault on mediapersons in Hissar, wants action against policemen

    NEW DELHI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) vehemently condemned the brutal assault by policemen on journalists and cameramen who were covering the police action outside the ashram of self-styled godman Baba Rampal in Hissar, Haryana on 18 November.

     

    In a press statement today, NBA president Rajat Sharma said: “This was a frontal attack on the freedom of the press. The whole nation was watching on television as policemen in ‘khaki’ were openly beating up journalists and cameramen who were merely doing their job of reporting. Policemen in uniform deliberately damaged expensive TV cameras and cellphones belonging to news channels and reporters, in full view of their senior officials.”

     
    The NBA president has urged the Chief Minister of Haryana to ensure that action be taken immediately against the men in uniform who ordered and carried out the unprovoked attacks on journalists and cameramen.  

     

    “The NBA clearly wishes to put it on record that such a naked show of unbridled ‘khaki’ power is unacceptable under any canon of democracy. The powers-that-be must understand that the journalists were only carrying out their lawful duty of disseminating information to the people even as events were unfolding right in front of their eyes.

     

    “For over two weeks now, the nation has been watching the spectacle of a state police looking completely helpless in arresting a self-styled godman hidden by his goons in his ashram and producing him before the Hon’ble High Court. On the contrary, the police today unleashed its power on helpless journalists doing their lawful duty.

     

    “The NBA considers this attack a blot on the face of democracy, and an assault on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in the Constitution,” Sharma said.

     

    “The Chief Minister must take exemplary action against the culprits to ensure that such shameful incidents are not repeated in future,” added Sharma.

     

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) also strongly condemned the beating up of journalists and camerapersons who were covering the clashes between the police and supporters of controversial godman Rampal.

     

    It said it had been reported that while some journalists have been injured, camera and equipment of photo journalists have been damaged or broken. Even DGP S N Vashisht, confronted with evidence, had to concede a journalist was beaten up and that he will investigate the matter.

     

    The DUJ calls for the institution of a high level enquiry to probe the beatings of journalists. While demanding immediate compensation for those who have suffered injuries and damage to their equipment, the DUJ reiterates its demand that a compensation and insurance cover be put in place for media persons who while covering such conflicts have to face various hazardous tasks.

     

    The DUJ would also like to state that no one is above the law. The use of women and children as protective shields and exposing them to grave risks is highly condemnable and cannot be tolerated.

     

     

  • Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan agrees to consider long standing issues of film industry

    Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan agrees to consider long standing issues of film industry

    NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra Government has granted retrospective exemption of VAT on copyright through sale or lease of cinematographic film for theatrical purpose.

     

    This proposal was moved in the recent budget session in the state assembly.

     

    A delegation of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to express its gratitude for this move and to raise other issues affecting the industry. Chavan said to the delegation that he would address the issues of the film industry in Maharashtra.

     

    Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan, Minister of Textiles & Minorities Development was also present at the meeting.

     

    The delegation comprised Guild president Mukesh Bhatt, senior Guild members Ramesh Sippy, Manmohan Shetty and Kamal Kumar Barjatya along with Guild chief executive officer Kulmeet Makkar. The film distribution and exhibition sector was presented by Indian Motion Pictures Distributors Association Ramesh Sippy of Raksha Entertainment.

     

    “Maharashtra has been the home for Hindi cinema for over 100 years and it is the Maharashtra Government which can look after the interests of the Film Industry,” reiterated Mukesh Bhatt. He added, “We have been voicing our concerns on the multiple tax related issues and serious challenges faced by the film makers to shoot films and television programs in Maharashtra.”

     

    The entertainment tax of up to 45 per cent levied on Hindi film industry in Maharashtra is amongst the highest in the country along with other taxes such as stamp duty on the contracts and now the fear of Local Body Tax (in lieu of octroi) if introduced may further impact the heavily taxed industry.

     

    The representatives of the delegation also spoke about the growth potential of the film sector and employment opportunities this sector can generate if the state government offers to extend complete support by just simplifying tax norms and permissions to open more cinemas.

     

    Makkar told indiantelevision.com that the Chief Minister agreed there was need to rationalise the tax structure and assured the delegation that he would address these issues on top priority.

     

    The Chief Minister also appreciated the rightful consideration deemed to the film industry as a ‘Soft Power’ of the nation. He concurred with the concern expressed by the delegation over the multi-prong challenges faced by the film industry in the State of Maharashtra despite the State being the birth place of the industry.

     

    He appreciated the need to grow cinema screens in the state by reducing number of permissions and approvals required to open a cinema hall. He was positively inclined to simplifying the processes for shooting clearances in Maharashtra in terms of formulating a single window mechanism.

  • Prasad Lolayekar takes over as CEO of Entertainment Society of Goa

    Prasad Lolayekar takes over as CEO of Entertainment Society of Goa

    NEW DELHI: Prasad V. Lolayekar, Director for Art and Culture in the Goa Government and Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, has been given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer of the Entertainment Society of Goa.

    This follows the resignation of Manoj Srivastava, who was Deputy Director in the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Earlier, Srivastava had been a producer with Doordarshan.

    During his tenure from June 2008 to 31 December 2012, Srivastava managed the International Film Festival of India on behalf of the Goa Government, since the ESG had been established for collaborating with the DFF after Panaji became a permanent venue for the IFFI in 2004.

    During his tenure, Srivastava introduced short films to IFFI by launching the Short Film Center in 2008, giving a fillip to short film movement.

    Ever since, the short film movement began in India. During his tenure, Goa bagged the Best Film Destination Award last year.

    From a state having five films shot each year, Goa last year boasted of shooting 79 films. Sources said the non-existent film business in Goa has shot up to an industry of Rs four billion.

    The attendance at the IFFI has risen from a paltry 3,700 in 2008 to over 13,000 in 2012.

    During Srivastava’s tenure, the first Digital Film Archive in Asia was set up in ESG, apart from Goa Cinephile, a famous Film Club for Goans and development of film culture in Goa.

  • Govt examining proposal to make ICFF a roving festival

    Govt examining proposal to make ICFF a roving festival

    NEW DELHI: The government is considering a proposal from the Children‘s Film Society, India, to convert the International Children‘s Film Festival held in Hyderabad every second year into a roving festival.


    Joint Secretary (Films) D P Reddy confirmed that the proposal had been received by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in this connection.


    CFSI Chairperson Nandita Das also said she would like the ICFF to bean annual event, and suggested that it could be held in Hyderabad every alternate year since the Andhra Pradesh Government had done somuch groundwork for this Festival, which had earlier been a roving Festival until 1995.


    When the Festival was held in Hyderabad in 1995, then Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu had urged the CFSI to base the festival in that city, and also promised to give land for building a children‘s complex.


    The complex has still not been made since the CFSI had raised various objections to the land allotted to it in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad.


    Das and Reddy were interacting with the media on the forthcoming ICFF in Hyderabad from 14 to 20 November.


    Meanwhile, a total of 160 features from 40 countries and several short films are being screened during the 17th ICFF next month. Theselection has been made from over 700 entries. ‘Gattu‘ by Rajen Khosa is the opening film.


    There is a total budget of Rs 50 million for the Festival, of which Rs27.5 million has been contributed by the Central Government and the rest is being put in by the Andhra Pradesh Government.


    There will be several new features in this year‘s festival. There will be four competitive sections: international, Indian, short films, and ‘Little Directors‘ for children filmmakers. In addition, there will be the non-competitive Children‘s World which will have 50 animation films including some Oscar winners.


    The festival will also have several workshops including animation and script writing, in addition to press conferences and an Open Forum.


    The festival will for the first time have films from Africa and Latin America. China will be the country in focus at the Festival.


    In addition to the adult international juries, there will be achildren‘s jury to judge the films.


    Das told indiantelevision.com after the press meet that though thefilms are sub-titled in English, a small synopsis of each film in achild-friendly language had been prepared for each film and would beread out before the start of the film.


    For the first time, ICFF will see the participation of the Federationof Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry which will organise asmall market section and has also managed the participation of bothCartoon Network as well as Nickelodeon, according to Munjol Shroff whorepresented the trade body. Ficci will also organise a workshop ongaming, animation and special effects, he added.


    ICFF Director and CFSI CEO Sushovan Banerjee said that a new venue –Shilpramum – had been selected for the Festival this year, and three make-shift theatres were being built at this venue to be ready in time of the Festival. Each will be equipped with the latest projection and Dolby sound, he added.


    He said while Doordarshan was the broadcast partner, efforts were onto get corporate sponsorships.


    In answer to a question, Reddy said that the state chief minister had said that the Telengana issue would not be allowed to interfere in the conduct of the Festival.


    Banerjee told indiantelevision.com, “For the children aged between 3 to 16 years of age, this film festival has feature films like Iran‘s” The Other”, France‘s “Tales Of The Night”, China‘s “The Star And The Sea”, Denmark‘s “The Great Bear”, India‘s “Chillar Party”, “Stanley Ka Dabba”, and “I Am Kalam”.


    Both the national and international level films will be given the same cash component and trophy. The Best feature film will be given Rs 200,000 and the Golden Elephant trophy, the first runner up will get Rs 100,000 and a trophy, the best director will be given Rs 1,50,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy, best script will be given Rs 100,000 and a trophy. Besides this, best feature film selected by the Children‘s Jury will be given a Golden Elephant trophy.


    The Best short film will be given Rs 100,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy, the runner up will be given Rs 50,000 and a Golden Elephant trophy and the film chosen by the Children‘s Jury will be given a Golden Elephant trophy. Also, films directed by children will be awarded with a Golden Elephant.