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What’s in a name: Should BARC India withdraw from trademark registry?
MUMBAI: William Shakespeare once said, “What’s in a name,” but when he said that little did he know that even an acronym could become a cause of concern!
In a recent development, the new television viewership measurement body, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India was sent a letter by Trombay based nuclear research organisation Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Wondering why? Well, it was for using the same acronym: BARC.
The newly launched television measurement body has been having a lot of teething problems. Not only does it have to deal with the anxiety of broadcasters and advertisers, who are still getting used to the numbers released every Wednesday starting 29 April, but it has also been in news for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asking it to stop releasing data till the registration process was complete. While this was resolved and BARC India continued releasing its data, it has got into trouble now for using the acronym BARC.
As reported by Economic Times, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre controller R P Raju in his letter to the Broadcast Audience Research Council has said that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has been using the acronym for decades and is popularly known by it. Thus, according to Raju, the acronym ‘BARC’ should be for the exclusive use of the institution and not be used by the measurement body.
Taking it a step further, Raju has now taken up the issue with the trademark registry for registration. BARC controller, vide his letter, has asked Broadcast Audience Research Council to immediately stop using the acronym ‘BARC’ and also withdraw applications filed by it with the trademark registry for registration of the same trademark.
While BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta did not respond to Indiantelevision.com’s calls or messages, an industry source informed that the rating agency’s legal team is now looking into the issue.
The big question now is: ‘Is there any need for BARC India to withdraw its registration?’
According to media analysts, Broadcast Audience Research Council is far from any trouble. It can be recalled that the ratings body had in July 2014 changed its logo, giving it the shape of a Rubik’s Cube. Another change, which took place, then was that the word ‘India’ was added to the logo. Thus, BARC became BARC India. While its website URL always contained India (www.barcindia.co.in), the logo donned the acronym BARC, which all changed in July, last year.
Another point, which can be noted is that Broadcast Audience Research Council is not the only one using the acronym BARC. For instance, Bangalore Analytical Research Centre, an engineering and environment service provider too uses the same acronym. Log on to www.barcindia.com and you can be introduced to another BARC. So will Bhabha Atomic Research Centre go behind it as well?
Not only this, if one visits the television measurement body’s website, the acronym used is BARC India and not BARC.
While the legal team at BARC India is busy framing their responses, we at Indiantelevision.com hope that the ratings body remains in news only for its television viewership numbers.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
