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Tag: NDTV

  • Two lawyers issued notice for anti-women remarks on ‘India’s Daughter’

    Two lawyers issued notice for anti-women remarks on ‘India’s Daughter’

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today asked the two advocates representing the 16 December gangrape convicts to respond to the charges that they allegedly made derogatory remarks against women in a BBC documentary India’s Daughter by Leslee Udwin.

     

    Justices V Gopala Gowda and C Nagappan issued notices to the two advocates M L Sharma and A P Singh and sought their response in two weeks following a petition by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association.

     

    “We have heard the argument, pleadings and grievances urged in the petition. The matter requires consideration in view of the factual and legal submissions,” the Court said.

     

    The Association had sought restriction on the entry of the two advocates in the apex court premises, alleging that their remarks in the controversial documentary were “inhumane, scandalous, unjustifiable, biased, outrageous, ill-minded” and are a “direct affront to and in violation of the dignity of women,” especially those practicing in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) supported the plea of Women Lawyers association.

     

    Senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija representing the Women’s Association urged the Court to lead from the front and show zero tolerance for such views. “We need an environment where we are fearless,” she said and added that the two advocates need to be sensitised.

     

    Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for SCBA, submitted that there should be a meaningful and proper implementation of gender sensitisation regulation. He said, “SCBA has taken a unanimous decision to take action against Sharma.” 

     

    The petition had sought protection of fundamental rights, guaranteed under the Constitution, of the female advocates practicing in the apex court to work with dignity and without any gender bias.

     

    The petition filed through advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani has made Chairperson of Gender Sensitisation Committee and Registrar of the apex court as parties and submitted a transcript of the two lawyers’ comments.

     

    It also sought the court’s direction to make Sharma and Singh issue a public apology in the media for holding and making public views, which are “absolutely derogatory to the dignity of women” and refraining from issuing such statements in future. The two advocates also be directed to retract their statements and their apology should also be included in the BBC documentary, the petition had said.

     

    The Association represented by secretary Prerna Kumari had said in the petition that the remarks made by the two advocates showed they do not have respect for any woman and do not see them as more than an object. It had added that the conduct of these lawyers showed complete absence of any concern for society and utter disregard of the Constitutional values and human rights of women besides the ethics and etiquette of the Bar.

     

    The petition said the lawyers should retract their statements and their apology should be included in the BBC documentary.

     

    It had added that the conduct of these lawyers showed complete absence of any concern for society and utter disregard of the Constitutional values and human rights of women besides the ethics and etiquette of the Bar. It is much more than a crime, the petition said. 

     

    Although it has been banned in India and NDTV could not screen the film as slated on 8 March, it continues to be available on the Internet and has been aired more than two times by BBC4, which is not seen in India, apart from some other countries have screened the film on International Women’s Day.

     

  • Bomanbridge Media continues Asia expansion; opens India office

    Bomanbridge Media continues Asia expansion; opens India office

    MUMBAI: Singapore-based content distribution agency Bomanbridge Media as part of its Asia expansion has opened an office in Mumbai. It will be headed by TV veteran Arpit Agarwal as Bomanbridge Media director of sales for South Asia.

     

    India is the fourth country in Asia where the company will have a base, after recently launching offices in Korea and Mongolia, in addition to its headquarters in Singapore. The further expansion follows recent investment by Hera Capital, which is also funding the company’s international lifestyle and cooking show Haute & Saucy with Kelly Randall Sia.

     

    Agarwal, who has worked in various capacities at Fremantle India, Balaji Telefilms, Bang Singapore and Sahara One, comes with over 18 years of experience in creating and managing both mass and niche television content in India and in Singapore. He also headed business development at Starcut Asia Pacific – a Nokia subsidiary and is credited for creating Singapore’s first made-for-mobile series Kumarsutra.  Agarwal began his career as a reporter, producer and host at NDTV in New Delhi, India.

     

    “This entrance into South Asia, and especially India, is the beginning of very exciting times for us at Bomanbridge. With assured improvements in TV measurement, and decreasing carriage costs, we are witnessing not only a surge in demand for niche content but also the need for product differentiation through innovation amongst the major GEC players. India has always been one of our stronger territories in the region and we look forward to enhancing our presence there to better serve our partners. Arpit brings extensive television experience and we look to him to bring us to the next level. Our team is now stronger than ever, ready to serve the entire Asian region with the best programming, and with people on the ground in several countries,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

     

    Agarwal added, “I am very pleased to join Bomanbridge Media, a company that is respected across the broadcasting fraternity of Asia as exclusive representatives of renowned content from around the world. Sonia and her team have a firm handle on the territory and I look forward to adding value and growing the business further in India and the region.”

     

  • India’s Daughter: Country takes a step towards judicial dictatorship

    India’s Daughter: Country takes a step towards judicial dictatorship

    MUMBAI: Nirbhaya, a name that garners sympathy whenever it is pronounced, but is sympathy enough for the daughter of the nation, who was brutally raped and murdered? What has changed after her sad demise? The answer is NOTHING.

     

    After the fatal incident that took place on 16 December, 2012, politicians used the name Nirbhaya to seek sympathetic affection. In other words, the name Nirbhaya became a part of dirty vote bank politics. What started as a revolt to abolish rape ended up becoming an empowerment scheme in the Indian government. And today the name is making headlines again. But for what? Have the rapists, who were responsible for her fatal death, been hung? No. There’s no cause to be so optimistic because such is not the case.

     

    A British film enthusiast Leslee Udwin has made a documentary titled “India’s Daughter” focusing on the brutal incident that took place in Delhi, three years back.  The documentary, which was aired by the BBC in the UK, features conversations with Mukesh Singh and fellow convicts who raped and tortured a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in December 2012. Excerpts from the documentary irked lawmakers. The government of the world’s largest democracy has banned the telecast of the documentary in the country. The problem with the documentary is the interview given by the convicted Mukesh Singh. It is alleged that Singh used abusive content against women in India, which may hurt national sentiments. Was rape of Nirbhaya not enough to hurt national sentiments? How does a rapist’s reaction cause ban to a piece that was documented after two years of professional research?

     

    The other controversial point that emerged from the documentary is the interview that was scheduled in Tihar Jail. Let’s do a reality check, Tihar Jail in Delhi is the largest jail in South Asia and it is quite obvious that no one can interview a prisoner without the jailor’s permission. So if we put everything in perspective, two years ago a British film enthusiast, who has experience of acting in movies like Merchant Of Venice and producing 1999 British cult comedy East is East and its sequel, teamed up with a group of Indian, which includes a journalist, to make a documentary. After two years of research, analysis and interviews the documentary was scheduled to be premiered on International Women’s Day i.e. 8 March.

     

    NDTV, in a press release announced that its English news channel will telecast the interview-based documentary in India on International Women’s Day at 9 pm. However, the Delhi High Court spelled a verdict to hold the screening in India till further notice and hence the channel will not be airing the documentary as per schedule.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, NDTV editorial director Sonia Singh says, “As there is a court order, we won’t be airing the documentary as of now.”

     

    “We are shocked at the ban and censorship. There will be no further comments,” adds a spokesperson from the channel.

     

    Now let’s scan through a few opinions that came from prominent personalities after the excerpts of interview were out on public platforms.

     

    Director and producer of the documentary Leslee Udwin told Indiatelevision.com that the film’s message conveyed that the time had come to respect women and not just treat them well. She was hoping for a sea-change.

     

    “An interview, which will defame India internationally is totally unacceptable,” said India’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, on the Nirbhaya documentary.

     

    The honourable Minister, is no doubt aware of what happened to Draupadi in Mahabharata. Will he impose a ban on screening of the Mahabharata too, as it defames the integrity of a WOMAN?

     

    Home Minister Rajnath Singh went a step further. His tweet read, “The producers of documentary on Nirbhaya were required to take approval from the Jail authorities before telecast but they did not do so.”

     

    It is utterly surprising how a foreigner enters the largest jail in South Asia and conducts an interview, which is certainly not shot by a hidden camera without taking the necessary permissions. The incident signifies that there are no consensus in the lawmaking fraternity as someone might have allowed the developments which others had a problem with. Sharing his emotions the Home Minister tweeted, “I was personally hurt by this, spoke to authorities, made sure all steps were taken to stop the broadcast.”

     

    One wonders why, with all the power, doesn’t he increase the pace of judicial proceedings to ensure justice to Nirbhaya?

     

    Ex-cop woman-turned politician and BJP’s Delhi head Kiren Bedi’s opinion differs from other party leaders and was seconded by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. He opined, “@thekiranbedi strongly defends the telecast of the Nirbhaya documentary. I support her view!”

     

    Rajya Sabha member and famous scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar said, “It’s good that this documentary has been made. If anyone finds it objectionable, they should change their mindset.”

     

    Author Chetan Bhagat’s tweet read, “Lack of consent and banning free speech comes in the same category – violation of individual rights.” After watching the documentary online, Bhagat once again tweeted, “Documentary #IndiasDaughter is extraordinary. Moving, thought provoking. Makers have Nirbhaya’s parents consent. Available on YouTube for now.”

     

    India should not forget that filmmakers like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak hail from the same country where every second thing is getting banned. The first Asian to win a Nobel Prize for literature was also an Indian and with all this censorship, we are not only demeaning the stalwarts but defaming our Motherland internationally. We compare ourselves with western countries and while they rejoice Argoand Zero Dark Thirty, we ban the screening of India’s Daughter.

     

    The rape itself is demeaning and there cannot be anything more defamatory than the brutal act. If India is so concerned about pride and integrity, the judiciary should put efforts in prohibiting such fatal and irrational acts instead of banning a fact-based documentary. Mukesh Singh’s interview makes my blood boil as it should every Indian’s. The fact that all men do not subscribe to the same thought can only be proved by action and not by words, by respecting woman and not demeaning them. The day all men in India take an oath of not raping, rape will be abolished and that will be the biggest manly act in independent India.

  • News channels’ budget special

    News channels’ budget special

    MUMBAI: Will Arun Jaitley successfully meet the expectations of the common man or are the aspirations too high? Will we get new schools and colleges? Will the number of AIMS increase? What will happen to health security? Will medical treatments become more affordable? Will there be any rationalization of taxation?

    The Ministry of Finance will be under the spotlight in the coming days as the country seeks answers to many such questions.

    Indiantelevision.com takes the opportunity to throw a set of questions to various news channels on their plans and offerings to meet viewer’s aspirations.

    ET Now

    The theme for Budget 2015 for the channel is Budget for Achhe Din. “This being the first full-fledged budget from Modi government, the common man’s and various stakeholders’ expectations for achhe din are really high and this perhaps would be the chance for the government to testify the promises made,” says ET Now managing editor R Sridharan.

    With the budget being a highly anticipated event, news channels are gearing to grab as much attention as possible. ET Now is content with the advertiser response. “The response has been phenomenal and we have brought on-board the maximum (and exclusive) budget sponsors within our category. Besides, we have sold out complete inventory on FCT and non FCT elements during budget week and budget day,” adds channels spokesperson .

    Budget also tests the editorial prowess. “All stakeholders of the budget viz. India Inc., market participants, traders, retail investors and the common man would largely depend on us to bring the fastest news updates, analysis, reactions and verdict on the budget,” he says.

    ET Now is looking at providing the most comprehensive and decisive analysis on budget to its viewers. “Every year our budget verdict is closely watched. This year we have a power packed line-up of pre-budget programming named Budget Marathon all through the budget week, which will consist of budget debates, a daily call-in show on personal finance and special editions of our extremely popular show market makers,” he informs.

    So why should one tune into ET Now? Sridharan says, “The sheer depth and expertise of ET Now’s budget coverage will be unmatched as compared to any other English business news channel. Foremost economist Swaminathan Aiyar and Motilal Oswal joint managing director Raamdeo Agrawal will lead ET Now’s programming on budget day. Aiyar, is the most respected economic expert in India who has been analysing budgets for more than 45 years now. In addition to our seasoned anchors, ace fund manager Punita Kumar Sinha will also be part of our stellar line up of experts. With the combined might of these three, the viewers will gain tremendous insights and knowledge ranging from economy, markets, finance and investments.”

    “Each of our experts is a stalwart in his or her area. Be it institutional investors or retail investors, market participants look to our panel to get the most decisive analysis of budget proposals. We have the most authoritative voices on the channel,” he informs.

    NDTV Network

    NDTV, as part of its budget special, will throw all the key questions to find out if the Narendra Modi led government will be able to live up to the expectations of 1.25 billion Indians.

    The channel, through its budget programming, will find out if the growth stimulus is pro-subsidy or pro-investment?

    NDTV senior vice president corporate affairs and senior editor real estate Manisha Natarajan says that the first full budget will be the Modi government’s first real acid test. “Join NDTV as we balance the numbers and find out how Budget 2015 affects you,” she says.

    The programming of the 24 hours English news channel NDTV 24/7 during budget will be as follows:

    Pre-Budget programmes

    23 and 24 February: Budget ADDA at 5:30 pm. In the build up to the Union Budget, Shweta Rajpal Kohli will be joined by the captains of the industry to outline their wishlist for the first proper budget of the Narendra Modi government.

    26 February: Rail Budget Live (12–1 pm): The rail budget presentation will be followed by analysis with railway industry experts and policy makers.

    27 February: Economic Survey Special (9-10 pm). Senior economists, industry voices and policy makers debate and discuss the Economic Survey 2015.

    28 February: Union Budget 2015. Industry and political voices, policy makers and economists join Prannoy Roy and Shweta Rajpal Kohli from 9 am to 3 pm to look at the Narendra Modi government’s first budget.

    9-11 am: Pre-Budget expectations and analysis

    11 am – 1 pm: Budget Speech Live from Parliament

    1-3 pm: Post Budget analysis

    The scheduling of the network’s business channel NDTV Profit is as follows:

    Betting on the Budget: Presented by Prashant Nair, the viewer will get insights into the expectations of the financial markets from the Union Budget. The show will have top-notch market participants who will discuss and debate what the budget can do for the economy and of course for the financial markets.

    B-School Budget: Moderated by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, in this show young business students talk about their perceptions and understanding of the budget and how they might perhaps do it differently.

    Budget ADDA: In the build up to the Union Budget, captains of industry outline their wishlist for the first proper budget of the Narendra Modi government. The show will be anchored by Shweta Rajpal Kohli.

    Programming on Budget Day 

    Name – Union Budget 2015

    Anchors – Vikram Chandra and Prashant Nair

    Timing – 8 am to 5 pm 

    Pre Analysis – 8 am to 11 am 

    Budget Speech – 11 am to 1 pm 

    Post speech analysis – 1 pm to 5 pm 

    News X

    When queried about its special coverage for budget 2015, NewsX editor in chief Rahul Shivshankar says, “NewsX has a new mission for the new NDA government for their first budget – Mission 10 per cent. This is also our branding for the coverage, which will all dovetail into this special theme- how to attain double digit growth for India.”

    NewsX will be breaking the mould with a new virtual gfx (graphics) technology to present the big numbers in the budget.

    Talking about the motto of News X, Shivshankar says, “We believe that one of our primary functions is to ensure that the voice of the common person reaches the newsmakers. We are doing a series of roundtables with experts and opinion makers which will be suggestive of what the government focus for the budget should be.”

    During the budget, viewers tune in to a channel to follow the editorial content. The channel with better content garners more viewership. “NewsX has a detailed roll out plan for budget programming. From 19-27 February, our programming Your Budget, Your Expectations would highlight the expectations of the common person from the FM and PM. From 21-25 February on our budget show Mission 10 per cent at prime time, we will debate on issues like growth, fiscal deficit, tax, growth and aspirations of the youth with eminent panel of experts. From 27-28 February our prime focus will be on the political and economic implications of the Rail Budget and Union budget including Economic Survey. Overall, our editorial focus will be to be non jargonistic, to simplify the numbers and ensure the coverage is detailed yet tailored to the common person,” he informs.

    The panel of experts is a very important part of any presentation and the NewsX panel of experts will have former advisor to PMO Subhashish Gangopadhyay, Vivian Fernandes, former cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, economist BB Bhattacharya, founder Air Deccan/Industrialist Captain Gopinath, senior journalist MK Venu, convener economic cell BJP PN Vijay, direct tax expert KPMG Prashant Kapoor and personal tax expert KPMG Ashish Gupta.

    When asked why should people choose NewsX over others Shivshankar replies, “For clarity. It’s as simple as that. We put the viewer before the numbers.”

    Times Now

    Times Network’s 24 hours news channel Times Now has named its special coverage Super Budget in concurrence with the theme that this budget will perhaps be a kick-starter for the next phase of growth.

    “Super Budget 2015 will be a congregation of debate shows, interviews, analysis and discussions with Times Now editor in chief Arnab Goswami and economists like Omkar Goswami, Lord Meghnad Desai, Dr. Rajeev Kumar and Sunil Alagh who will discuss issues regarding the common man’s expectations from the budget 2015,” says a Times Now spokesperson.

    The channel is known for its innovative adaptations, as during every special presentation it comes with a new technical innovation. The budget will be another effort to showcase innovate formats both in terms of technology and editorial styles.

    When questioned about the impact of budget presentation in news channels, the spokesperson asserts, “The budget is a crucial exercise that plays a key role in determining not just the economy but also impacting our lives. Viewers watch news channels for information around the budget, how the subject matter experts are reacting to the budget and how the budget will impact our life. Times Now tries to simplify the budget by analyzing it in simple terms bereft of jargons.”

    The channel will continue its strategy of bringing the budget to its viewers in a simple and understandable form. “We will be analysing how the budget will impact our daily lives and the impact it will have on corporate and the markets. With a range of experts from industry the analysis is aimed to be sharp and fast with path breaking graphics to support the same,” he adds.

    With all the news channels having more or less the same presentation, it is highly challenging to emerge as viewer’s choice. “In all budgets, Times Now has been the choice of viewers. We have managed to garner record shares in each budget. With a team that comprises two of India’s best voices on economics in Dr. Omkar Goswami and Lord Meghnad Desai, the channel promises to deliver sharp analysis. Additionally experts like Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Sunil Alagh and Sanjeev Sanyal will provide industry viewpoints to the budget. All this packaged in an interesting format makes for exciting viewing,” reiterates the spokesperson.

    Ad rate hike

    According to media buyers, the news channels will see a minimum hike of 50 per cent in the ad rate. A media executive says, “Budget is one of the major event for news channels and they prepare special marketing campaigns for it so that brands come and endorse.”

    Another executive from the media planning community adds on condition of anonymity, “The hike in ad rate is directly proportional to content in store. Better content delivered by prominent dignitaries grabs more attention and hence the channel get better price for their ad slots.”

    Though economic reform is a 365 days agenda, the general budget plays a vital role in the economic condition of the country. It remains to be seen if budget 2015 takes India, which was recognised as ‘fragile five’ couple of years back, one step forward towards the fantastic or favourite five in global economy.

    (The channels are listed in alphabetical order and not on the basis of viewership ratings or accolades.)  

  • NDTV is once again India’s Most Trusted Media Brand

    NDTV is once again India’s Most Trusted Media Brand

    MUMBAI: NDTV is once again India’s most trusted media brand and Number One across all media categories (which include newspapers, television, radio and the Internet) Based on the Trust Research Advisory’s Brand Trust Report, India Study 2015, NDTV has been named India’s Most Trusted Media Brand for the second year running.

     

    The study is based on research carried out across 16 Indian cities, with over 15,000 hours of fieldwork and interactions with 2373 consumer influencers. Over 5 million data pointswere covered and the top 1000 brands listed from over 19,000 unique brands. The report measured and understood consumers’ trust and brand insights were quantified by measuring variables that influence consumer behaviour.

     

    During the past year, NDTV has won several prestigious awards – both national and international. These awards have honoured its channels, its programmmes and its anchors. This latest award for India’s Most Trusted Media Brand only confirms that NDTV remains true to the most fundamental values of a media brand in today’s volatile media environment – it is credible, reliable and trustworthy.

     

  • NDTV Design and Architecture Awards 2014 Honour Excellence and Innovation

    NDTV Design and Architecture Awards 2014 Honour Excellence and Innovation

    MUMBAI: NDTV hosted its second edition of the Design and Architecture Awards 2014, presented by GROHE, Europe’s largest and the world’s leading premium single-brand manufacturer and supplier of sanitary fittings. The second edition of the awards gave an opportunity to every architect and interior designer to showcase their talent and get recognized for their work. This year’s grand ceremony was hosted by Manisha Natarajan, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs and Senior Editor Real Estate, NDTV NDTV; Rajiv Makhani; Beverly White and was held at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai on 13th February, 2015.

    The NDTV Design & Architecture Awards have been hailed as one of the best by the Architect Guild for its rigour, discipline and credibility. Carrying the baton forward this time the awards had a two tier jury which made them more disciplined and credible. The two tier jury was divided into a shortlist jury and a final selection jury.

    Jury members for the  awards included Prem Chandavarkar, Managing Partner, CnT Architects;Vinita Chaitanya, Founder, Prism; Sharukh Mistry Founder Partner, Mistry Architects; Gayathri Shetty, Founder Director, Gayathri & Namith Architects; Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand,Khosla Associates; Ambrish Arora, CEO & Design Principal, LOTUS (Delhi); Gurjit Singh Matharoo, Principal, Matharoo Associates (Ahmedabad); Krishnarao Jaisim, Founder Jaisim- FountainHead (Bangalore); Ranjana Mital, Professor, School of Planning and Architecture (Delhi);Sanjay Puri, Founder, Sanjay Puri Architects (Mumbai); Shimul Javeri Kadri, Principal Architect, SJK Architects (Mumbai); Ar. Kamal Malik, Founder and Principal of Malik Architecture; Soumitro Ghosh Partner, Mathew and Ghosh Architects (Bangalore); Tony Joseph, Principal of Stapati (Calicut); Paul Flowers, Global Senior Vice President Design, Paul Flowers and Zafar Chaudhary, Architect. The jury for the students awards included Sidhartha Talwar, Partner & Design Principal; Sonal Sancheti, Principal-OPOLIS Architecture and Urban Design; Ar. Partha Ranjan Das and Soumitro Ghosh.

    Present on the occasion were eminent personalities including Prasoon Joshi, Ad film Director & Lyricist; Atul Kasbekar, Indian fashion photographer; Prahlad Kakkar, Ad film Director; Perizad Zorabian, Actress; Boman Rustom Irani, Chairman & MD, Rustomjee Group (Perizad's husband);Kiran Nagarkar, Novelist & playwrite; Aman Nath, Architectural restorer & Writer; Ar Vilas Avachat; Ar Paresh Kapadia; Krishna Rao Jaisim; Vinita Chaitanya; Sandeep Khosla; Kamal Malik; Sanjay Puri and Anu Malik.

    The highly coveted awards focused on innovation, sustainability and a strong contextual response of the design to its surroundings. These awards offer consumers a wide list of professionals whom they can turn to when remodeling and refurbishing their homes.

    The Design and Architecture Awards 2014 were hosted in partnership with Grohe India and powered by Polycab. The Associate Partners for the awards were D&M and Century Ply. Other partners were Syska LED (Lighting Partner); Ethos (Student Contest Partner); Khosla Associates (Knowledge Partner); The Indian Institute of Architects (Associate Partner); Urban Homes (Online Partner); Laqshya (Exclusive Outdoor Partner); Taj Lands End, Mumbai(Hospitality Partner) and Ravish Kapoor (Invitation Partner).

    The Awardees were:

    Runners- up:

  • Barkha Dutt to step down as NDTV group editor

    Barkha Dutt to step down as NDTV group editor

    MUMBAI: After a stint spanning two decades, Barkha Dutt is now stepping down from her post as NDTV group editor to set up her own multimedia content company and policy group.

     

    Dutt will continue as consulting editor for the news network and will continue as host of her two on-going shows namely The Buck Stops Here (daily) and We The People (weekly).

     

    In an email to its employees, a copy of which is with Indiantelevision.com, New Delhi Television founders Prannoy and Radhika Roy wrote, “She (Barkha) will also be available as always for analysis and inputs on big news events and stories. While her TV relationship with NDTV remains unchanged, in her new role she will be setting up her own multimedia content company and policy group. We have literally seen Barkha grow from a child to an adult professional and look forward to our close bonds only strengthening further as she embarks on this new venture.”

     

    Having made her name reporting the war in Kargil, Dutt became one of NDTV’s most prominent faces as it went from a content provider for Doordarshan in its early days to being a media conglomerate that it is today.

     

    Dutt was 23 years old when she joined NDTV as a young reporter cum producer. Having won several awards in her 20 year stint with the channel, Dutt has worn several hats like: journalist, anchor and editor.

  • AAP hurricane demolishes BJP and Congress

    AAP hurricane demolishes BJP and Congress

    If general election was swept by the Modi wave, Delhi assembly election certainly witnessed a Kejriwal hurricane. The Modi juggernaut has been bamboozled as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was restricted to a mere three seats in Delhi. Indian National Congress’ decimating journey took one step forward; they failed to open their account, such was the story of National Capital on 10 February, 2015. Historians and political authors will have to mark this date as historical as any.

     

    A two year old party lead by an ex IIT-ian won 67 of 70 seats contesting against two of the largest national political parties in India. About a year ago on 14 February, 2014 Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the Chief Minister’s post and President’s rule was forced on the capital of world’s largest democracy. Many predicted it as the end of Aam Admi Party (AAP) and Arvind Kejriwal’s political career. Exactly a year later he is all set to take the oath again as the Chief Minister of Delhi, as Delhiites give him a historical mandate.

     

    Few note worthy points of the Delhi elections are:

     

    · The largest opposition party is BJP with three seats, which means Delhi will be legislation without opposition.

     

    · BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi lost to advocate S K Bagga in her Krishna Nagar Constituency.

     

    · Three BJP candidates to win a seat were Om Prakash Sharma, Jagdish Pradhan and Vijender Kumar.

     

    · Congress failed to open its account and its Chief Ministerial candidate Ajay Maken was defeated by AAP’s Som Dutt in Sadar Bazar constituency.

     

    · BJP’s vote share almost remained the same. It was 34.12 per cent in 2013 and this time it is 33.80 per cent.

     

    · AAP’s vote share witnessed a substantial hike. During the 2013 assembly election it was 29.64 per cent, whereas the 2015 vote share increased to 53.30 per cent.

     

    · Congress suffered the worst decline in vote share. They were reduced to 8.60 per cent from 24.67 per cent in 2013.

     

    Indian media covered the ‘election day’ with esteemed sophistication. Every channel deployed huge number of reporters on field to cover each and every development. Media houses decorated their websites with innovative designs. NDTV uploaded ‘Sirf AAP,’ Arvind Kejriwal’s dream result right after the trends indicated a AAP sweep. Aaj Tak had an animation of Arvind Kejriwal ecstatically dancing. Times Now’s #Feb10withArnab was trending on Twitter.

     

    Prominent public figures used social media to share their reactions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the first to post a reaction. “Spoke to @ArvindKejriwal & congratulated him on the win. Assured him Centre’s complete support in the development of Delhi,” Modi tweeted. 

     

    Kiran Bedi also posted her reaction. “Full marks to Arvind. Congratulations. Now take Delhi to the heights it belongs to. Make it a world class city,” she tweeted.

     

    Journalists too used social media to share their opinion. NDTV’s Vikram Chandra tweeted, “I can’t recall seeing a 95% majority before. 3 lonely lotuses in a sea of jhaddus. #sirfAAP isn’t just a hashtag today. #NDTVResults.”

     

    Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai posted, “67 of 70 Congress candidates lost their deposits. 60 per cent wins more than 10,000 votes. #AAPSweep.”

     

    Social activist Anna Hazare in an interview to CNN said, “Kiran Bedi not responsible for BJP’s defeat, Narendra Modi is.”

     

    The man of the hour Kejriwal dedicated his victory to party volunteers. He tweeted, “Volunteers. U did an amazing job. Relax for 2 days. Spend with your family. Sleep. Watch movies. Meditate. Chill. God bless u.”  

     

    The Aam Aadmi has won yet again!

  • NDTV Fortis Cancerthon raises funds for kids with Cancer

    NDTV Fortis Cancerthon raises funds for kids with Cancer

    MUMBAI: It is a rare person in this world who has not battled cancer – some of us directly, and almost all of us indirectly, through the pain of a loved one.

     

    American scientist and physician Siddhartha Mukherjee calls it The Emperor of all Maladies. ”Cancer, we now know, is a disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of a single cell… Cell division allows us as organisms to grow, to adapt, to recover, to repair — to live. And distorted and unleashed, it allows cancer cells to grow, to nourish, to adapt, to recover, and to repair — to live at the cost of our living.”

     

    India is combating cancer with new cures, superior treatments, networked care giving and financial aid. Yet, every year 10 lakh new cases are diagnosed in India. About five lakh succumb to the disease annually. While breakthrough advances are being made in diagnosis and treatment, cancer is galloping ahead. What’s worse, cancer among children and young adults has taken on severe proportions. They comprise 15% of India’s cancer patients. No less than 50,000 children are detected with cancer every year. They are at the core of our cause.

     

    The silver lining in the story is the immense support and care structure that backs up mainstream treatment. Raising awareness plays a large role. This is where NDTV and Fortis have stepped in to create a nationwide cancer awareness and fundraising campaign — Health4U Cancerthon.

     

    The campaign culminated in an 8-hour LIVE fundraiser CANCERTHON rolled from Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai. It brought together the entire nation to spread awareness and donate generously to the cause. The campaign successfully raised close to 3 crores for cancer patients.

     

    Packed with stories of cancer survivors, medics talking about breakthrough treatment and detection and NGOs elaborating on the support required by patients and caregivers, it was a first-of-a-kind live awareness campaign and fundraiser.

     

    Sharing their personal stories and professional expertise during the eight-hour event, anchored by Vikram Chandra, were film and television personalities, well-known singers, eminent doctors and cancer survivors. Celebrities included Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kajol, Arjun Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, Anu Malik, Pankaj Udhas, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Yuvraj Singh, Minissha Lamba, Diana Hayden, Ali Fazal, Priya Dutricha Chadda, Neeraj Shridhar, RJ Sidhu, Ehsaan Noorani, Emraan Hashmi, Ram Naik, NDTV’s Co-Chairperson Prannoy Roy along with Fortis Executive Chairman Malvinder Singh and Executive Vice-Chairman Shivinder Singh.

     

    Indian actor, producer and philanthropist Salman Khan said, “Sometimes children come to us in the last stage of cancer and you find them still so full of life. They are not burdened with despair.”  Talking about the strength with which these children fight the disease he says, “These children are the real heroes they manage to fight and kick cancer out of their bodies. ‘’

     

    ‘‘Cancer is not scary as everybody makes it out to be and it’s truly, truly an awareness that we need to spread,  that listen, it can be controlled, you know it can be made better and the faster you get to it, faster you are able to eradicate it the problem. It’s as a simple as that”, said Kajol.

     

    Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh who interacted with cancer survivors in Panchkula, Haryana, as part of this campaign said, “As a cancer survivor, it was very inspiring to meet all these courageous people who are battling cancer. On my own journey of beating cancer, I learnt an important lesson – cancer is detectable and curable. 90% of cancers are curable if detected in stage one. To ensure that no one has to fight cancer alone, my NGO YouWeCan is helping create consciousness on cancer prevention, early detection and the fight against stigma. It is an initiative which I am proud of and involved in 24×7. With your support and love we all will make it happen.’’

     

     Actor Shahid Kapoor on the occasion said, “Every woman must go regularly for breast cancer screenings and the men should support them and make them comfortable so that they feel comfortable and don’t hesitate for going for the tests.” 

     

    Speaking on the occasion Vikram Chandra, Group CEO, NDTV said, “Why do over ninety thousand children die annually from childhood cancers and how can this be stopped? I am very pleased that today’s Cancerthon, with generous contribution of their time by experts, has given us a better understanding of the research and awareness being done towards finding safer treatments and cures for this disease. In partnership with Fortis Healthcare, the Cancer Society and CanKids we will give hope to so many more children and end their suffering.”

     

    Malvinder Mohan Singh, Executive Chairman Shivinder Mohan Singh, Executive Vice Chairman Fortis Healthcare in a joint statement, added “Clearly the incidence of cancers has increased over the last many years. India contributes to 7.5% of cancer cases globally and 8 % of global cancer deaths happen in India. Due to under- diagnosis and under- detection, the actual scale of the problem is at least twice or thrice the reported numbers With the current lifestyles that people are leading, it becomes all the more important for us to focus on doing what’s right from a prevention perspective so that we minimize the risk of cancer. Childhood cancers are immensely curable, if detected in time. Whilst we make the best of treatment available to them, raising funds for those who can’t afford the treatment has been one of the key objectives of this campaign.” 

     

    The funds raised through this initiative will be utilised by the campaign’s Knowledge and Implementation Partner, The Indian Cancer Society, towards pediatric cancer treatments.

     

    Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Simardeep Singh Arora, CIPLA, Arun Bharat Ram, Mohit Chauhan and HDFC generously donated for cancer patients.

     

    Among others present at the event were Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon; Arun Bharat Ram, SRF; Yk Hameid, Cipla; Satish Reddy, Dr Reddy’s Labs; Rajashree Birla; Gopal Vittal, Bharti-Airtel; Dr SH Advani; Dr P Jagannath; Dr Vinod Raina; Dr Naveen Dang; Dr VK Paul; Dr Priya Ranachandran; Dr Mohamned Rela; Dr Sharat Damodar; Dr Samir Parikh; Dr Rajiv Sarin; Dr Mamen Chandy; Dr GPI Singh; Dr Preet K Dhillon; Dr P Kurkure and Dr Carl June.

     

    An integral part of it was Because You Can, a drive that motivates school children to collect gifts for kids with cancer,   supported by CanKids, our Knowledge Partner.

  • Media gives AAP an upper hand as Delhi goes to poll

    Media gives AAP an upper hand as Delhi goes to poll

    MUMBAI: With 12 million voters, 70 seats and four major national parties contesting elections, New Delhi has become the focal point for all the news channels for the next four days. The entire news fraternity is covering the election with esteem supervision, with not even a single incident staying unreported. Interviews, analysis, opinion polls, poll of polls, panel discussions and debates are the daily offerings.

     

    Narrating the political significance of Delhi, NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy during his show ‘Battleground Delhi’ where he was joined by Shekhar Gupta and Dorab Soopariwala said, “Delhi election is a big big election and the whole question is will there be a continuation of the impact of Modi juggernaut or the Modi juggernaut will hit the pot holes and take a setback.”

     

     The growth of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the downfall of Indian National Congress (INC) have made life difficult for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). No clear picture is evolving from the battle ground and that makes pollsters’ job extremely difficult. Soliciting tweet came from veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, “Suprabhatam! Feel sorry for pollsters. get it wrong, will be accused of being bazaaru if they get it right, will be called tukka!” is what he tweeted.

     

     When asked about the relevance of opinion polls and exit polls BAG Network chairperson and MD Anuradha Prasad told Indiantelevision.com, “Election is a festival of democracy and the surveys are a part of it. The opinion polls do leave a small impact on voters mind.” On the credibility quotient Prasad added, “We have our own team of surveyors consisting of 70 to 80 specialists who are working hard day and night to get the most relevant figures.”

     

    ABP News managing editor Milind Khandelkar added, “We don’t do any on field survey; Ac Nielsen conducts the survey for us which we telecast on all of our channels. We have a distinguished panel consisting of different expertise, and we analyse the numbers to come to a relevant conclusion.”

     

    With elections, comes opinion polls and this time, like every other time, news channels have given out their verdict much before the counting day. As per the ABP + Nielsen opinion polls, Delhi could see a hung assembly with AAP closest to victory with 35 seats followed by BJP with 29 and Congress with 6 seats.

     

    NDTV on its analysis predicts an absolute majority for AAP with 37 seats, followed by BJP with 29 and Congress with 4.

     

    India Today analysis also gives an upper hand to AAP. The venture predicted 38 – 46 seats for AAP, 19 – 25 seats for BJP and 3 – 7 seats for Congress.

     

    The IMRB survey has got a different data. Its data indicated absolute majority for BJP with 36 seats followed by AAP with 29 and Congress with 4.

     

    The ET/ TNS survey gives Kiran Bedi lead BJP an upper hand with 36 – 40 seats. AAP is predicted to get 28 – 32 while Congress was restricted to mere 3 by the surveyors.

     

    Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Sources- BJP workers have given up in many places, similar to how cong workers gave up in last elections. They are completely demoralized.”

     

    Prime Minister Modi urged the youth to cast their votes by tweeting, “As Delhi votes today, urging voters to go out & vote in large numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote in record numbers.”

     

    At the time of filing the report, 64 per cent voters had successfully registered their opinion.