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Galli Galli Sim Sim commences seventh season on Doordarshan
NEW DELHI: Sesame Street’s Galli Galli Sim Sim, the popular preschool programme has commenced its seventh season on Doordarshan. The programme was premiered on 14 February at 10 a.m. with a repeat telecast every Wednesday at 8 30 am.
Produced in association with RedDot Productions, the all-new Season seven of Galli Galli Sim Sim engages children as it educates them on important life skills that enable them to be more school ready. With generous support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, each episode of Galli Galli Sim Sim has multiple segments that are thematically linked together to address a whole-child curriculum.
Galli ki Duniya hosts favourite Muppet friends Chamki, Googly, Boombah, Aanchoo, Khadoosa and Hero, and an all new human star cast – Aamir, Pia Aunty, Doctor Didi with engaging stories that teach children about sharing, making friends, healthy habits and task persistence. Grover takes to the streets in search of new word and to the sky in Super Grover 2.0 to teach children concepts around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The Bert and Ernie animation segments teach pre-numeracy and maths concepts. The Elmo and Parents segment models strategies and behaviours to address topics like bullying, self-esteem and confidence, using vocabulary to express oneself, reflecting on the feelings of others and learning strategies for responding to academic or social and emotional challenges.
Season six of Galli Galli Sim Sim, which concluded broadcast in February 2015 was watched extensively with each episode reaching 1, 10,000 children on an average.
Speaking about the new season, Sesame Workshop India MD Sashwati Banerjee said, “We are preparing children for the 21st century. Along with the necessary literacy and numeracy skills, children need to learn about self-regulation such as focused attention, controlling their emotions and their impulses. Recent studies have shown that self-regulation and executive functioning skills are critical indicators for school readiness. The process that enables them to learn about planning, initiate and complete an activity while controlling their temper, maintaining attention and responding to feedback from others need to be taught at a very young age. The new season of GGSS specifically deals with issues that promote self-regulation and provides both the vocabulary and the strategies. We encourage parents to watch it with the children.”
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation executive director Peter Colenso, said “Children’s early experiences have a uniquely powerful influence on the formation of their cognitive capacities, social skills and even later I.Q. We are very excited to support Sesame Workshop in India to develop content that will engage young children in learning experiences and help them develop.”
As always, Galli Galli Sim Sim is filled with hysterical moments for both children and their caregivers and will be broadcast also in Gujarati (DD Girnar) and Marathi (DD Sahayadri) later this year.
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.
