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Telecast issue: BCCI seeks legal advise
MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The cricket soap-opera takes another turn.
The Indian cricket board today decided to seek legal opinion on telecast rights issue and also form a three-member sub-committee to assess the legal advice.
The legal opinion that would be obtained from the former attorney-general Soli Sorabjee would help the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) panel to form of its submission to the Delhi High Court on 19 October.
Though the BCCI criticised its marketing panel for the news leaks, cricketing sources said that Sorabjee has been contacted for an opinion.
“Soli Sorabjee is likely to give his opinion over the eligibility criteria for the rights by tomorrow or early Tuesday, which will be studied by the new panel,” a source familiar with the development in BCCI told indiantelevision.com today.
On a petition filed by Zee Telefiims in September, the Delhi HC had allowed BCCI to open the technical bid for the rights after a few hearings.
Without elaborating on what transpired at a marketing committee meeting today in Mumbai, BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra only said that resignation of union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar from the marketing panel has been accepted.
“I want to clarify one thing. Sharad Pawar (also president of the Mumbai Cricket Association) has resigned because of his official position and not for other reasons attributed in the news reports, which are defaming the Board,” a Press Trust of India report quoted Mahendra as saying.
The new sub-committee includes Mahendra, former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and Punjab cricket association chief and a Dalmiya critic I S Bindra.
Contacted by indiantelevision.com today, Zee Telefilms senior vice-president Ashish Kaul said, “We are hopeful that Zee won’t be discriminated against and the telecast rights will be restored to us.”
The present bidders for telecast rights for matches to be orgainsed by the BCCI in India include Zee, ESPN-Star Sports, Sony Entertainment Television India and pubcaster Prasar Bharati.
The present legal impasse is part of long drawn court cases first initiated by ESS and then Zee Telefilms.
Last year, when the BCCI had invited bids for domestic cricket, Zee Telefilms had topped the chart with a humongous quote of $ 308 million.
When the BCCI then announced that the rights would be given to Zee, ESS had moved the court challenging the decision, which has led to the present situation and financial losses, as claimed by BCCI, to the Board.
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.
