News Broadcasting
92.7 Big FM’s RJ Balaji honoured with CNN News18 IOTY award by Arun Jaitley
MUMBAI: 92.7 BIG FM Chennai’s most loved celebrity radio jockey RJ Balaji who has received immense recognition for his show ‘Take It Easy’ and for his exceptional contribution towards humanitarian causes has added yet another feather to his cap. RJ Balaji received the prestigious award from honourable finance minister Arun Jaitley at the 10 edition of CNN News 18 Indian of the Year Award, for the spirit of selfless volunteerism that the people of Chennai displayed during the marauding floods of December 2015. It is a matter of great pride for Chennai as RJ Balaji has been felicitated with the award that represents the people of Chennai.
Speaking on the prestigious win, RJ Balaji said, “Nobody imagines for a disaster like this to occur. For the first time, an RJ and an actor teamed up and brought the spirit of the city alive. I am humbled at receiving the Indian of the Year Award. However, this award does not belong to me. It belongs to the lakhs of volunteers who extended their support to the social movement. It belongs to and represents the people of Chennai. The catastrophic Chennai floods were an awakening for not only the people of Chennai; but for the nation too. The Chennai floods were the worst disaster in 100 years and also the best thing that happened to us in decades. We all were wearing a mask being made out of caste, creed, religion, race, money and authority, but all those mask were washed away by the rain and we understood that we are all just humans after all and all that matters is to remain one. It brought out the true spirit and volunteerism of the people in Chennai to help each other at the time of need. It was for this reason that the city was able to bounce back in a week.”
CNN News 18 Indian of the Year; a property of Indian media house CNN-News18 is an annual award which recognizes contribution of individuals in their respective fields of politics, sports, business, entertainment, public service and global Indian. RJ Balaji has been bestowed upon by the ‘People of Chennai’ award under the ‘Public Service Category’. This award represents the spirit and determination of the citizens of Chennai exhibited during the devastating Chennai floods and how they stood united to manage the catastrophe.
RJ Balaji demonstrated extraordinary prowess of being a responsible RJ and a citizen when he went out on ground zero to manage the herculean task of providing relief to flood ridden Chennai. He went out of his way to provide assistance and live updates on 92.7 BIG FM’s ‘Take It Easy’ show, and later considering the gravity of situation took matters in his own hands. RJ Balaji, the brain behind ‘Chennai Micro Fund Trust’ along with actor Siddharth and singer Chinmayi, started #ChennaiMicro on twitter. With this began the largest flood relief operation on social media.
Commenting on RJ Balaji’s efforts a spokesperson from 92.7 BIG FM said, “We are very proud of RJ Balaji, who led a huge and difficult task of managing an outreach to an entire city during the devastating times of the Chennai Floods. Having been bestowed upon by the ‘CNN News 18 Indian of the Year Award’, is an exceptional honor for the city of Chennai. It is also a moment of pride for us as a radio network, being a powerful medium to reach out to the people in times of need as well as to have contributed our support to RJ Balaji and the cause in the best way possible.”
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
