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Tag: Prakash Javadekar

  • No government interference in acquisition of Network 18 by RIL: Prakash Javadekar

    No government interference in acquisition of Network 18 by RIL: Prakash Javadekar

    GOA: “There is no government interference in the acquisition of Network 18 by Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries Limited,” announced I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, brushing aside any rumour about BJP led government having a role to play in the recent acquisition of Network 18 by RIL. The newly appointed I&B Minister was addressing the gathering on the final day of GoaFest. Javadekar also accepted that cross media ownership was debatable and will be addressed soon.

     

    “The I&B Ministry will always protect and respect the freedom of press,” emphasised Javadaker. The Minister further went on to say that I&B Ministry is looking at making both Doordarshan and All India Radio competitive. “It is my dream to make Doordarshan a success story,” he said.

     

    “I would address the grievances of all cable operators if they take DD in the prime brand,” added the Minister on a lighter note. “The Ministry will take into consideration all the viewpoints of various stakeholders of the media and then take necessary actions in the near future,” he announced.  

     

    The biggest challenge for the Minister will be the smooth rollout of the remaining two phases of digitisation. While in phase III of digitisation 11 crore set top boxes are expected to be installed, Javadekar is of the view that the set top boxes manufactured in China do not guarantee good value for money. “The Ministry is looking at creating opportunities to manufacture set top boxes locally. We will soon meet with both the Finance and Commerce Ministries to take this forward,” he said.  

     

    Javadekar also touched upon the issue of FM radio in India. “I have already met all the FM radio heads and the way forward will be declared shortly.  The age old batteries of transmitters of AIR stations will soon get some ‘air’ as the Ministry is looking at replacing them with new ones,” he announced.  

     

    The Minister, who believes in the age old thought that good advertising cannot make a bad product good and strongly feels that it holds true in today’s world too, also used the platform to address the advertising fraternity. “The difference that the nation will see now is not only difference in leadership but in its vision too,” he said.

     

    Javadekar too has the experience of creating campaigns. The Minister who had crafted campaigns for his party away back in 1989 in Maharashtra said, “I truly understand the system that goes behind each campaign.”

     

    Javadekar is impressed with what ASCI has been initiating and said the Ministry will give its complete support to the association. He also mentioned that issues related to ratings, if any, should be treated privately by advertisers and broadcasters unless there is conflict and they seek government intervention.

     

    The Modi government has truly used the power of social media to scale up its communications. Javadekar said that under his leadership he will review the party’s social media activities very keenly. 

     

    It will be interesting to see what Javadekar brings on table in the coming days for the media fraternity as a whole! 

  • Fresh look for DAS phase III and IV needed: Prakash Javadekar

    Fresh look for DAS phase III and IV needed: Prakash Javadekar

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister (I&B) Prakash Javadekar has indicated that he will ensure that the last two phases of digitisation are not implemented until indigenous set top boxes are available in adequate numbers.

     

    At present, the implementation of these two phases is slated for December this year.

     

    The Minister has also agreed that encrypted – pay television channels should not be permitted to carry advertisements.  

     

    The assurances were given to a delegation comprising members of National Cable and Telecommunications Association and Cable Operators Federation of India who met the newly appointed I&B Minister.

     

    During the meeting, the Minister was informed about the overflow of the Chinese and other set top boxes. There was also a stress on production of Digital Radio Mondiale sets in the country.  

  • Ministries urged to come on social media through I&B Ministry’s Communication Hub

    Ministries urged to come on social media through I&B Ministry’s Communication Hub

    NEW DELHI: All Central Ministries have been requested by Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to disseminate their policy initiatives through the Communication Hub under the existing New Media Wing of his Ministry.

     

    Firmly believing in prolific use of social media, the Minister wrote to his Cabinet colleagues for utilising this Communication Hub as a one-stop place for social media outreach based on Hub and Spoke model. 
     

    In his letter, he said each Ministry or/Department may liaise with the New Media Wing which will cater to all its needs such as disseminating information through packaging and placing of content, wider reach through variety of tools and response management.

     

    He said the two-way interaction envisaged in this endeavour would provide a 360 degree communication approach to the government and hence help in last man connectivity. 

    He informed that the directive was in adherence to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wanted to use the social media platforms extensively for transparency and better governance. 

  • Political appointees prefer to bid good-bye to Prasar Bharati following change of government

    Political appointees prefer to bid good-bye to Prasar Bharati following change of government

    NEW DELHI: Even as speculation continues to grow on the spate of resignations from the Board of the Prasar Bharati, it is learnt that one or two more members are expected to put in their papers.

     

    While no official comment was available with even Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar declining to say anything, pubcaster sources said that these resignations could be due to the fact that they were political appointees.

     

    It is learnt that part-time members Dipa Dixit, Suman Dubey and CR Kesavan have put in their papers.

     

    Under the Prasar Bharati Act 1990, the part-time members have a term of six years and therefore cannot be removed before that term is over even if there is a change in government or the governance of Prasar Bharati.

     

    However, one source said that the members are believed to have resigned as a moral obligation since they were appointees of the previous government.

     

    It is also learnt that the members were apprehensive of greater interference in the working of the autonomous pubcaster, and the resignations could be termed as a ‘boycott’ or ‘protest’.

     

    Another source said that the members were also unhappy with the fact that there were crucial delays in not only filling vacancies in the Board, but also the vacancies that had been cleared by the Group of Ministers, as crucial to the function of the pubcaster.

     

    At present, the Prasar Bharati is without a chairperson as Mrinal Pande’s term has come to an end, and the posts of both the Executive Members in-charge of Personnel and Finance.

     

    Over 1100 persons are believed to have been selected by the selection committees for filling crucial posts, but these are not being cleared by the Government.

     

    The Prasar Bharati Board comprises its chairman, an executive member (chief executive officer), member (Finance), member (Personnel) and six part-time members.

    That apart, a representative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Directors General of All India Radio and Doordarshan are its ex-officio members.

  • Government has no intentions to impose any regulations on the media: Javadekar

    Government has no intentions to impose any regulations on the media: Javadekar

    NEW DELHI: Newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said today that freedom of the press is the cornerstone of a democracy and his first aim in his new portfolio will be to find ways to strengthen this freedom.

     

    Speaking soon after taking charge of his portfolio, the Minister said that the media and politicians must work together to highlight the problems of the people and bring them before the government.

     

    Describing himself as ‘just a soldier’, he said he had always stood for freedom of the press and had suffered a 16-month imprisonment during the national emergency in 1975 in this fight as he belongs to a family of journalists.

     

    Noting that the press has conducted itself in a responsible manner and set up self-regulatory bodies, he said the government would not impose any regulations on the fourth estate.

     

    The media in its present form gives a ‘rainbow of choices’ and even dissent has its own place in a democratic system of functioning. Constructive criticism is therefore welcome.

     

    Asked about the frictions with Prasar Bharati, Javadekar said he had not had time to study the issues yet but would like to work in partnership with all the autonomous media units including Prasar Bharati.

     

    He said in reply to a question that he did not agree with his immediate predecessor that there was no need for an Information and Broadcasting Ministry in the present context.

     

    Referring to social media, he said that while it presently came under the Information Technology Act, but he would study it and see how it can be helped. He said he would meet all the officials of the Ministry, understand the issues involved and then make some suggestions to the Prime Minister.

     

    Soon after meeting the media, he met senior officials of the Ministry and also media units, apart from Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar and Director of Film Festivals Shankar Mohan.

     

    Contrary to expectations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not upgraded the post of Information and Broadcasting to cabinet rank.

     

    Like his immediate predecessor Manish Tewari, Javadekar will be a Minister of State with independent charge of Information and Broadcasting Ministry. (He has also been given charge of Environment and Parliamentary Affairs). However, he has ample experience as far as dealing with the media and its problems are concerned, since he like Tewari has served as party spokesperson for the past few years.

     

    Javedekar has also been one of the nominated members from Parliament to the Press Council of India and hence has dealt with media issues such as paid news. A member of the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, Javadekar was born in Pune on 30 January 1951 and became associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in his young days.

     

    He commenced his professional life as an employee in the Bank of Maharashtra for 10 years from 1971 to 1981 and also worked in the Rural Development Department.

     

    His father Keshav Krishna Javadekar was a senior leader of Hindu Maha Sabha who worked as joint editor of Marathi Daily started by Lokmanya Tilak – Kesari before having stints with some other newspapers like Tarun Bharat and Kaal as journalist. He still occasionally writes his thoughts in some newspapers.

     

    Javadekar has been president of GLOBE India (Global Legislators Organisation for Balanced Environment); In-charge BJP Economic Forum and Cells related to Economy; President, NOINO (National Organisation of Insurance Officers) and president, KCKU (Khadi Commission Karmachari Union).

     

    As a member of Parliament, he has served as member of the Press Council of India; the Public Accounts Committee; Standing Committee on Human Resources and Development; Consultative Committee for Ministry of Power; Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Committee on Wakf.

     

    He has earlier served as executive president of the State Planning Board in Maharashtra (1995–1999); been a  member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Pune Division Graduate Constituency for 12 years from 1990; chairman of the Task Force on IT in Maharashtra (1977–1999) and chairman of the Working Group on ‘IT for Masses’ of the central government.

     

    He has also led a delegation to Boston to negotiate Media Lab Asia Project in 2000.

  • Prakash Javadekar takes over as I&B Minister

    Prakash Javadekar takes over as I&B Minister

    NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has been sworn in as the new Information and Broadcasting Minister. Javadekar, in an interview to a News channel has said that his first priority as the Minister of State Information & Broadcasting would be to ensure the freedom of media.

     

    Javadekar, who will take charge of the ministry later today, also said he would like to study three portfolios given to him for three to four days before taking any action.

     

    Javadekar has also been given (Independent charge) of Environment and Parliamentary Affairs.

     

    Ravi Shankar Prasad is to be the new communication and information technology minister with cabinet rank. He will also hold charge of the law and justice ministry. 

  • Al Jazeera goes behind the scenes on Narendra Modi’s campaign

    Al Jazeera goes behind the scenes on Narendra Modi’s campaign

    MUMBAI: As part of its election programming, Al Jazeera English takes the viewers on a campaign trail with Gujarat State Chief Minister Narender Modi in his bid to become India’s next prime minister.

     

    A special from 101 East, ‘Modi the Messiah?’ premieres on Friday, April 25 and will examine the anticipation around Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Reporter Karishma Vyas gathers views from leaders from BJP, political scientist and industrialists in Gujarat where Modi has been in power as the state’s Chief Minister and residents of the state.

     

    Prakash Javadekar, Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha and a leader of Bharatiya Janata Party sharing his views about Modi with Al Jazeera: “This time people are voting for aspiration, for progress. This is a radical change which is happening in the parliament election. This election is all about development, development, development. Inflation, unemployment, stagnation, all has caused great pains for common people and corruption. There is a feeling in the people that they have been looted left, right and center. Modi is the man of integrity, man of honesty, incorruptible record and performance. People want delivery; he is the man of delivery”.

     

    Kalpesh A Patel, Executive Director, Nirma said, “We have already been serving the benefits of Mr. Modi as a head of the state, and I think the entire nation is looking to him to shoulder the responsibility so why only should Gujarat benefit? The entire country should benefit and the entire country should prosper and see the change and the improvement in the process.”

     

    Zoya Hasan, a political scientist and a former member of the National Commission for Minorities says, “This is a highly competitive election as never before. There’s a Hindu undercurrent running through the Modi campaign even though it is not upfront and upfront is talk of development. It’s been a procession of support from the corporate sector because they see Modi as business friendly, as someone who is prepared to do what it takes to promote economic growth unhindered. Modi is an extremely autocratic, authoritarian leader who is being presented in this campaign as the decisive leader that India needs.”

     

    However, a shadow hangs over his candidature, as Chief Minister in Gujarat state the self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist presided over one of the worst massacres of Muslims in the Indian history. In February 2002, four months after Modi became the state’s chief minister – deadly communal clashes engulfed the streets of Gujarat. Though, Modi has denied culpability in these riots, and a Supreme Court ordered investigation has concluded that there isn’t enough evidence to charge him with any crime.

     

    One of the riot victims said, “We lost our family, we lost our neighbours, we lost the people that were in our lives every day. I pray to God for them. I sit here and remember them. It feels like they’re still with me and I’m sitting with them.”

     

    101 East is a weekly television programme, broadcast by Al Jazeera English that focuses on current affairs in Asia and the Pacific.

     

    Tune into Al Jazeera on Dish TV 618 and Tata Sky Channel 518 on April 25 at 1500 IST to catch the premiere of 101 East Modi the Messiah? episode