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Tag: Narendra Modi

  • Centre approves amendments in FM Radio Phase-III Policy guidelines

    Centre approves amendments in FM Radio Phase-III Policy guidelines

    Mumbai: The central government has approved the amendments to certain provisions contained in the policy guidelines on the expansion of FM radio broadcasting services through private agencies (phase-III), referred to as the private FM phase-III policy guidelines.

    The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The three-year window for restructuring FM radio permissions within the same management group throughout the licensing duration of 15 years has been eliminated by the government in order to move in this direction.

    The government has also agreed to remove the 15 per cent national cap on channel holdings, which has been a long-standing demand of the radio industry.

    Furthermore, as part of the FM radio policy’s simplification of financial eligibility norms, an applicant company can now participate in bidding for ‘C’ and ‘D’ category cities with a net worth of just Rs 1 crore, as opposed to Rs 1.5 crore previously.

    These three amendments will help the private FM radio industry fully leverage economies of scale and pave the way for further FM radio and entertainment expansion in tier-III cities across the country.

    This will not only create new job opportunities but will also ensure that music and entertainment are accessible to the general public in even the most remote parts of the country through FTA (free-to-air) radio media.

    To improve the ease of doing business in the country, the government has focused on simplifying and rationalising existing rules in order to make governance more efficient and effective, so that the benefits reach the common man.

  • Narendra Modi govt releases ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to celebrate 75th Independence Day

    Narendra Modi govt releases ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to celebrate 75th Independence Day

    Mumbai: The government launched the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign to commemorate 75 years of independence. ‘Bharat ki Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is a celebration of progressive India, its rich history, diverse population, magnificent culture, and great achievements.

    In a recent campaign development, the ministry of culture posted a video and wrote, “Har Ghar Tiranga…Ghar Ghar Tiranga…celebrate our Tiranga with this melodious salute to our Tricolour, the symbol of our collective Pride & Unity as our Nation completes 75 years of independence. #HarGharTiranga #AmritMahotsav.” The video showcases the spirit, strength and diversity of India from sports, missile launches, army, to the mesmerising beauty of your country.

     

     

    The video anthem “Har Ghar Tiranga,” sung by Sonu Nigam, Asha Bhosle, and Amitabh Bachchan, features celebrities such as Kapil Dev, Virat Kohli, Anupam Kher, Anushka Sharma, Prabas, Mirabai Chanu, Mithali Raj, Neeraj Chopra, MC Mary Kom, and others. At the end of the video, Prime Minister Narendra Modi graced it with his charismatic personality.

    The campaign encourages people to bring the ‘Tiranga’ home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence.

    PM Modi called on all citizens on Sunday to turn the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or displaying the national flag in their homes and using the ‘Tiranga’ as a display picture on their social media accounts between 2 -15 August to commemorate India’s 75th anniversary of independence.

    Recently, while speaking at the 91st edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ Modi stated that India is set to witness a glorious and historic moment as it completes 75 years of Independence. He said, “Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, from the 13 to 15 August, a special movement – ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is being organised. Let us further this movement by hoisting the National Flag at our homes,”

    ”2 August is the birth anniversary of Pingli Venkhaiya who designed the national flag. I urge all to use ‘tiranga’ as a profile picture in social media accounts between 2 August and 15 August,” he further added.

    He continued, “My dear countrymen, today we started our discussion on 75 years of Independence, with a visit across the country. The next time we meet, the journey of our next 25 years would have already begun. We all have to join for our beloved tricolour to be hoisted at our homes and those of our loved ones. Do share with me how you celebrated Independence Day, and if you did anything special, this time. Next time, we will talk again about the different colours of our Amrit Parv. Till then, I will take leave of you. Thank you very much.”

    The official journey of this initiative began on 12 March 2021 and will end a year later on 15 August 2023, after a 75-week countdown to our 75th anniversary of independence.

  • If Lok Sabha polls are held now, Modi led NDA will witness landslide victory: India TV opinion polls

    If Lok Sabha polls are held now, Modi led NDA will witness landslide victory: India TV opinion polls

    New Delhi: India TV has predicted that if Lok Sabha elections are held now, prime minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) can register a landslide victory on 362 Lok sabha seats out of a total of 543. The prediction is made following a nationwide opinion poll by India TV-Matrize News Communication.

    The results of the survey titled ‘Desh Ki Awaaz’ (Voice of the Nation) were telecast on India’s No. 1 news channel India TV on July 29 at 4 p.m.

    According to the survey, Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is projected to win only 97 lok sabha seats if general elections are held now, with ‘Others’ including small, regional parties and independents projected to win 84 seats.

    The survey says, NDA is projected to get 41 per cent votes, UPA may get 28 per cent and others 31 per cent votes, if elections are held now.

    Asked about their first choice for Prime Minister, 48 per cent said they would want to see Narendra Modi again as PM. Modi was followed by Rahul Gandhi with 11 percent, Mamata Banerjee 8 percent,  Sonia Gandhi 7 percent,  Mayawati 6 percent, Sharad Pawar 6 percent, and Arvind Kejriwal 5 percent, Nitish Kumar 4 percent, K Chandrashekhar Rao 3 pcercent and Priyanka Vadra with 2 percent.

    Asked who is the strongest political opponent of Modi, 23 percent respondents favoured Rahul Gandhi, while 19 percent opted for Arvind Kejriwal. 11 per cent favoured Mamata Banerjee, and 8 per cent  each opted for Nitish Kumar and Sonia Gandhi.

    The India TV-Matrize Opinion Poll ‘Desh Ki Awaaz’ was conducted from 11-24 July, in 136 out of 543 parliamentary constituencies of India with a sample size of 34,000 respondents, among whom 19,830 were males and 14,170 were females.

    The state-wise break-up given in the survey makes interesting reading.

    In the most populous state Uttar Pradesh, NDA may win a whopping 76 out of 80 Lok sabha seats, with UPA and others projected to win only two seats each. In Bihar, NDA may win 35 out of a total of 40 seats, and the UPA may win five seats.

    In Maharashtra, NDA may win 37 out of a total 48 lok sabha seats, while non-BJP opposition may win the remaining 11 seats.

    The ruling DMK-led UPA in Tamil Nadu is projected to win 38 out of a total of 39 seats, leaving the lone remaining seat to NDA. In LDF-ruled Kerala, the non-BJP opposition can sweep all the 20 Lok sabha seats in the state.

    In TMC-ruled West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is projected to win 26 out of a total of 42 seats, with NDA projected to win 14 and UPA two.

    According to state-wise break up given by the survey agency, Gujarat has total 26 seats out of which NDA can get 26 and UPA 0. While in Maharashtra, there are total 48 seats, out of which NDA can get 37 and UPA 11.

    Goa has total 2 and both will be named to NDA. Rajasthan has total 25 and NDA will get all 25. Madhya Pradesh has total 29, NDA can get 28 and UPA may get 1.  Chhattisgarh has total 11 out of which NDA may get 10 and UPA 1.

    Below is the seat wise prediction for all the states.

    West Bengal: Total 42, NDA 14, UPA 2, Others (TMC) 26.

    Bihar: Total 40, NDA 35, UPA 5.

    Jharkhand: Total 14, NDA 13, UPA 1.

    Odisha:Total 21, NDA 11, UPA 2, Others (includes BJD) 8.

    Himachal Pradesh: Total 4. NDA 4.

    Punjab: Total 13, NDA 3, UPA 3, Others (includes AAP) 7.

    Haryana: Total 10, NDA 9, UPA 1.

    Jammu & Kashmir, Laddakh: Total 6, NDA 3, UPA 0, Others 3.

    Delhi: Total 7, NDA 7, UPA 0, Others 0.

    Uttar Pradesh: Total 80, NDA 76, UPA 2, Others 2.

    Uttarakhand: Total 5, NDA 5, UPA 0.

    Telangana: Total 17, NDA 6, UPA 2, Others (includes TRS) 9.

    Andhra: Total 25, NDA 0, UPA 0, Others (includes YSRCongress) 25.

    Karnataka: Total 28, NDA 23, UPA 4 Others 1.

    Tamil Nadu: Total 39, NDA 1, UPA(includes DMK) 38, Others 0.

    Kerala: Total 20, NDA 0, UPA 20, Others 0.

    Tripura: Total 2, NDA 2, UPA 0.

    Assam: Total 14, NDA 11, UPA 1, Others 2.

    NE states: Total 9, NDA 7, UPA 1, Others 1.

    Rest UTs:Total 6, NDA 4, UPA 2, Others 0.

  • M S Dhoni to be a shareholder & brand ambassador for Garuda Aerospace

    M S Dhoni to be a shareholder & brand ambassador for Garuda Aerospace

    Mumbai: Chennai-based Drone startup Garuda Aerospace on Monday has appointed the former Indian men’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a shareholder in Garuda Aerospace. Dhoni is also the brand ambassador of the company, the company said in a statement.

    Equipped with 300 drones & 500 pilots operating in 26 cities, Garuda Aerospace drone manufacturing facilities were recently launched by honourable prime minister Narendra Modi.

    About his association with Garuda, MS Dhoni said, “I’m happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witnessing their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer.”

    Garuda Aerospace founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash is ecstatic about the development, “I’ve always been an ardent admirer of Mahi Bhai & to have him as a part of the Garuda Aerospace family is honestly a dream come true,” said Agnishwar.

    He added, “Mahi Bhai is the epitome of dedication & I firmly believe that having captain cool on our cap table adds tremendous value which will motivate our team to perform better.”

    “Garuda Aerospace has been a pioneer in the Indian drone ecosystem & is firmly on the path to becoming India’s 1st ever drone unicorn start-up,” concluded Jayaprakash.

  • India possesses immense potential to become the content hub of the world: PM Modi

    India possesses immense potential to become the content hub of the world: PM Modi

    Mumbai: India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has expressed happiness on the country’s participation as ‘Country of Honour’ at the Cannes Film festival this year. In a message, the prime minister noted that India’s participation comes at the momentous meeting of celebration of 75 years of India’s independence, 75th anniversary of Cannes Film Festival and 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and France.

    Positioning India as the largest film producing country in the world, PM Modi said that multifariousness of the country’s film sector is remarkable and rich heritage and cultural diversity are its strengths. “India has a lot of stories to be told and the country truly possesses immense potential to become the content hub of the world,” the prime minister added.

    Reiterating India’s commitment to improve ease of doing business in the film sector, PM Modi said that from facilitating international film co-production to ensuring single window clearance mechanism for permissions for filming across the country, India offers seamless possibilities to filmmakers of the world.

    The prime minister further expressed happiness that a Satyajit Ray film has been restored for screening in the Cannes Classic Section as India celebrates the birth centenary of the maestro.

    Among one of the many firsts, startups from India will showcase their strengths to the cine-world. The prime minister expressed confidence that India pavilion will display facets of Indian cinema and promote international partnerships and learnings.

    India is the official Country of Honour at the upcoming Marche’ du Film, that is organised alongside the 75th edition of Cannes Film Festival in France which kicked off on Tuesday. Actress Deepika Padukone is one of the jury members at the Cannes Film Festival. The Country of Honour status ensures India’s presence as Focus Country at the opening night of Marche du Film being organised at the Majestic Beach with spotlight on India, its cinema, its culture and heritage.

    India is also a Country of Honour at the Cannes Next, under which five new startups would be given an opportunity to pitch to the audio-visual industry. Ten professionals will participate on the Animation Day networking. As a major highlight of India’s participation at this edition of Cannes Film Festival, the world premiere of the film “Rocketry” – produced by R Madhavan – is scheduled to be showcased at the Palais des Festivals of the market screening on 19 May.

    The Indian delegation is led by union minister Anurag Thakur and consists of film celebrities from across the country.

  • News18 Assam-North East launches ‘Rising Sports: Shining Northeast’ campaign

    News18 Assam-North East launches ‘Rising Sports: Shining Northeast’ campaign

    Mumbai: News18 Assam-North East has announced the launch of its special campaign titled ‘Rising Sports: Shining Northeast’ to raise awareness about the immense contribution of people of the northeast in the sports arena. 

    PM Narendra Modi had once mentioned that Manipur was the powerhouse of sporting talents. It is an undeniable fact that the people of the northeast have a long heritage of sports enthusiasm.

    Beginning with the legendary Indian footballer Talimeren Ao, who captained the Indian football team against France at the 1948 London Olympics to the present successes of Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, and many more form the long list.

    The month-long campaign, which started on 19 September, will showcase the sports champions, discuss their potential, narrate their inspirational stories, their zeal to excel against all odds, and highlight government and private initiatives and landmark decisions that shaped the sporting talents of the region. 

    The state’s future plans will also be discussed to ensure the northeast leads the way in terms of sporting talent.

  • PM Modi to launch Sansad TV on 15 September: Report

    PM Modi to launch Sansad TV on 15 September: Report

    Mumbai: Sansad TV, a new channel created by merging the Lok Sabha TV and the Rajya Sabha TV, will be launched by prime minister Narendra Modi on September 15, according to a report by PTI.

    Along with PM Modi, the channel launch will be attended by vice president M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla at a function in the parliament building, said the report.

    Retired IAS officer and former textile ministry secretary Ravi Capoor has been appointed as chief executive officer of the channel while the joint secretary in the Lok Sabha secretariat Manoj Arora is the OSD.

    Congress leader Karan Singh, economist Bibek Debroy, Niti Aayog chief executive officer Amitabh Kant, and advocate Hemant Batra will host different shows on the channel.

    The content on the channel will cover subjects such as democratic ethos and institutions of the country. Karan Singh will host a show on different religions, Bibek Debroy on history and Amitabh Kant on ‘Transformation of India’, SAARCLAW vice president Batra will host a show on legal matters. Principal economic advisor to the finance ministry Sanjeev Sanyal will host a show on the economy and esteemed endocrinologist Dr Ambrish Mithai will moderate a show on health issues.

    When Parliament is in session, Sansad TV will have two channels that will broadcast the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha simultaneously.

  • TV channels announce special programming line-up for Independence Day

    TV channels announce special programming line-up for Independence Day

    Mumbai: Patriotic fervour is at an all-time high as the country is looking forward to celebrating its 75th Independence Day on Sunday. Joining the celebration, TV channels across genres have come up with special programming.

    Here is what’s all in store this 15 August:

    News18 India’s ‘75 Saal Bemisaal’ 

    In addition to the live coverage of prime minister Narendra Modi’s speech from the historic Red Fort on 15 August, News 18 India has put together a bouquet of special shows (airing 14 and 15 August) to mark the event.

    Under the umbrella programming ‘75 Saal Bemisaal’, anchor Prateek Trivedi will host a special episode from Srinagar saluting the spirit of bravery and nationalism of India’s valiant BSF soldiers. The channel will also present a unique journey to the decks of INS Vikrant – the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. 

    Next in line will be a thought-provoking discussion where critically acclaimed actor Ashutosh Rana, lyricist Manoj Muntashir and author-historian Vikram Sampat will share their views about today’s youth and their issues, nationalism in the current context, and unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle News18 anchor and editor Amish Devgan will host the show. Renowned poets like Pratap Fauzdar, Sudeep Bhola, Gaurav Chauhan and Hemant Pandey will add a flavour of humour to the celebrations in another programme.

    ABP News homage to martyrs: ‘Jhanda Uncha Rahe Humara’

    ABP News will pay tribute to the martyrs on its Independence Day-special event ‘Jhanda Uncha Rahe Humara’. Renowned actors Ajay Devgn and Sharad Kelkar along with writer and lyricist Majon Muntashir will be present as chief guests on the show

    ‘Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara’ is an initiative by ABP News that captures the true spirit of patriotism. It was launched to reinforce the patriotic fervour of the nation and to uphold the values of bravery, courage, and independence. The event has been running successfully on ABP News since the past seven years, having delivered many memorable editions that have reinforced the pride of being Indian.

    This edition of ‘Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara’ focused on celebrating the contributions made by the armed forces and paramilitary personnel in the past one year. Soldiers from Indian Army, NDRF, Indian Air Force, CRPF, and DRDO were felicitated at the event. Top brands including Asian Paints, Keo Karpin, Nine, Paras Ghee, and Wonder Cement supported the initiative.

    The event will be aired on ABP News at 8 p.m on 14 August. There will be a repeat telecast at 4 p.m on 15 August. 

    CNN-News18 ‘GLORIUS 74’ commemorates milestone 75th year of freedom

    CNN-News18 has lined up special programming ‘GLORIOUS74’ to commemorate the country’s milestone 75th year of freedom. Through it, the channel will celebrate and honour the seven decades of Indian independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and their achievements, every day 8 p.m onwards from 9-15 August.

    The array of programming on CNN-News18 will comprise exclusive newsmaker interviews and engaging small formats to keep the patriotism quotient high. Executive editor Anand Narasimhan will host discussions with renowned personalities such as Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev and Kailash Kher who will highlight their idea of India along with the progress and developments the country has seen over the last seven decades. The channel will also share interesting snippets from India’s journey to independence throughout the day providing an informative, interactive and innovative television experience.

    On 15 August, CNN-News18 will live telecast the prime minister’s speech from the Red Fort.

    AajTak special program ‘Jai Ho’ celebrates India’s Olympic heroes

    AajTak is celebrating Independence Day with a day-long special program ‘Jai-Ho’ honouring the 2020 Tokyo Olympics medal winners.

    Airing 14 August, ‘Jai Ho’ promises insightful and candid conversations with Neeraj Chopra Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain and the Indian men’s hockey team, in their own spaces and sporting arenas.

    NAT GEO premieres ‘Buried Seeds’ – the inspiring Indian Chef Vikas Khanna

    National Geographic will be celebrating this Independence Day with the premiere of “Buried Seeds” – the life story of Michelin chef Vikas Khanna. Directed and produced by contemporary filmmaker Andrei Severny, the film traces the star chef’s journey from his beginnings as a child with misaligned feet to the man who took Indian cuisine to the world. It is a timeless and true story of human passion and willpower. 

    Khanna narrates the incredible story of how he learned to walk and won people’s hearts with the magic of his cooking. Along the way, he becomes one of the most influential chefs in the world and a cultural ambassador of India. The film also captures the true essence of Indian culture, heritage, and customs through kaleidoscopic visuals of India, with all the beauty, bonding, and sacrifices made by an Indian family to fulfill the dream of their child.

    The film premieres on 15 August at 9 p.m on National Geographic in India.

    discovery+ launch of Mission Frontline with Sara Ali Khan

    After the success of the first chapter of “Mission Frontline” with Rana Daggubati, discovery+ will be launching the “Mission Frontline” with Sara Ali Khan on the occasion of Independence Day. The special show gives the audiences a glimpse into the lives of the Veerangana force – an all-women commando unit of India set up by the Assam Police in 2012 to tackle grave issues against women – whilst shining light upon their inspiring stories of bravery. Sara Ali Khan will be seen in a unique avatar donning the commando uniform and stepping into the shoes of a Veerangana to perform rigorous drills.

    Bolo LIVE launches campaign #Rashtragaan

    Joining the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative announced by PM Narendra Modi on 25 July, streaming app and short video content platform Bolo LIVE (formerly Bolo Indya) has launched a campaign #Rashtragaan in partnership with MyGov India. The campaign encourages Bolo LIVE’s seven million users across 14 languages to record their videos while singing the National Anthem and upload it on the app. 

  • PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ generated over Rs 30.80 cr revenue since 2014: I&B ministry

    PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ generated over Rs 30.80 cr revenue since 2014: I&B ministry

    New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio show, Mann Ki Baat has generated over Rs 30.80 crore as revenue since it began in 2014, with the highest of over Rs 10.64 crore earned in 2017-18, according to the ministry of information and broadcasting.

    The data was shared by union minister Anurag Thakur in Rajya Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session. Thakur said, 34 DD channels and around 91 private Satellite TV channels broadcast this radio program throughout India. “Mann Ki Baat has achieved 11.8 crore viewership and 14.3 crore reach in 2020. This has created renewed interest and awareness in traditional radio,” he told the Parliament.

    According to data shared by the ministry, the programme fetched Rs 1.16 crore as revenue in 2014-15, which rose to Rs 2.81 crore in 2015-16. The overall revenue crossed Rs 5.14 crore in 2016-17 and reached the highest mark of Rs 10.64 crore in 2017-18. However, the revenue has fallen since then. In 2018-19, it generated Rs 7.47 crore revenue in 2018-19, which came down to Rs 2.56 crore in 2019-20. In the pandemic torn 2020-21, it collected an overall revenue of Rs 1.02 crore, the lowest since 2014.

    The programme is broadcast at 11 am on the last Sunday of each month through various channels of the All India Radio and Doordarshan. Prasar Bharati has broadcast 78 episodes of the programme till date on its AIR and Doordarshan network. It has also undertaken the translation and re-broadcast in 51 languages/dialects, he added.

    As per the audience data measured by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the cumulative reach of viewership of the programme has been estimated to range from approximately six crore to 14.35 crore during the period 2018 to 2020.

    “The main objective of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme of the prime minister is to reach to the masses across the country through the radio,” said Thakur, “The programme also provides every citizen the opportunity to connect, suggest, and become part of participatory governance through the prime minister’s radio address.”

    The minister said Prasar Bharati produces ‘Mann ki Baat’ leveraging existing in-house resources with no additional expenditure. “In-house staff is leveraged for production and existing translators engaged on assignment basis for language versions,” he added. 

  • Reporting from the frontline: Journalists battle with Covid second wave

    Reporting from the frontline: Journalists battle with Covid second wave

    NEW DELHI: With India engulfed in the firestorm that is the second wave of Covid2019, journalists in the country are putting their lives on the line to keep the public informed and abreast of the latest developments regarding the fatal pathogen, and the measures that should be taken to curb its spread. But in spite of these noble efforts from the news media community, the government has not classified scribes as frontline workers who are entitled to priority Covid vaccination. It’s a fact that while working round the clock to provide Covid updates from the frontlines, several journalists have lost their lives. 

    According to data released by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a non-profit organisation focused on press freedom and journalist safety, 51 Indian journalists have died due to coronavirus. The data released by PEC was dated 29 December, and the current death toll among the news media community could be much higher, especially at this time where the resurgent virus is on a killing spree through India. 

    Request from Editors Guild of India

    Recently, the Editors Guild of India urged the government to declare journalists as frontline workers and be allowed priority Covid vaccination.

    “News organisations have been relentlessly covering the pandemic, elections, and other current affairs in an effort to ensure that the flow of news and information to readers continues unabated. News media is included in essential services. Therefore it will only be fair that journalists be given this cover of protection, especially in the face of the number of infected rising to astronomical levels,” the Editors Guild of India said in a statement. 

    Extending support to newspersons in the country, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also urged the central government to classify media personals as frontline workers. 

    “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,” tweeted the AAP supremo. 

     

     

    Tamil Nadu MP B Manickam Tagore also appealed to prime minister Narendra Modi to declare all journalists as frontline workers. In a memorandum, Tagore shockingly revealed that India has the highest fatalities among journalists dying due to Covid infection across Asia and the second-highest across the world. 

    Industry experts react

    Calling journalists ”frontline warriors”, Asianet News editor-in-chief MG Radhakrishnan stated that several journalists contracted the novel Coronavirus at his channel. 

    “At least 25 journalists working in Asianet News have been infected with the coronavirus. Like any other frontline workers, journalists are also risking their lives to keep people informed about the pandemic and our role in this war against the invisible enemy should not be ignored,” said Radhakrishnan.  

    Talking about the challenges during news reporting, he added, “Unlike other instances of calamity, we are putting families too at risk.” 

    Mathrubhumi Group managing director MV Shreyams Kumar shared that his company has been trying hard to give all protection measures for journalists since the pandemic outbreak. 

    “We have an effective operational standard maintained, the reporters are given shifts on a rotational basis and they are regularly examined and tested. The office space is well sanitised, and safety factors are taken into consideration.  The government has been quite supportive to the media industry, they have well adhered to the fact that newspapers are playing a very important role in delivering credible news to its readers and the general public at large,” he noted. 

    Senior media consultant and veteran journalist Mohan Nair echoed the sentiment, going on to add that reporters who are on the field are more prone to occupational hazards despite taking precautionary measures, and urged the government to give prioritised vaccines to journalists irrespective of their age. 

     

     

     

     

    PIB’s relief efforts and Uttarakhand government’s empathetical step

    In a major relief, the Uttarakhand government has decided to classify journalists as frontline workers. Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat has also ordered the vaccination of all journalists and representatives of media organisations. The Telangana government has also decided to give financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of journalists who have succumbed to Covid. 

    To help the families of journalists who have passed away due to Covid infection under the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS), the PIB is collecting information of newspersons who lost their lives during the pandemic time. The central government has also approved the proposal of the Press Information Bureau’s journalist welfare committee to provide financial relief of Rs 5 lakh to deceased journalists’ family. As a part of this plan, the families of 39 journalists will receive this financial relief. 

    As hundreds of journalists have succumbed to Coronavirus in India, the Network of Women in Media India (NWMI) recently paid tribute to newspersons who lost their lives during the pandemic.

    “Media houses need to actively ensure the safety and health of journalists who work for them and those who, as independent stringers or freelancers, supply vital information, photographs and videos to them. Media houses must stop forcing journalists to travel in dangerously unsafe conditions to work in offices instead of encouraging them to work from home,” said NWMI in a statement. 

    On 26 April, India witnessed more than 3,23,000 Covid positive cases and 2,771 Covid-related deaths. Medical experts believe that the double and triple mutant variants of the deadly virus are responsible for the sudden surge in cases in India.