News Broadcasting
Age limit upped, new category added in the CNN YJA third edition
NEW DELHI: Enthused by the overwhelming response, CNN today announced the third edition of the CNN Young Journalist Award (CNN YJA) in India, having added a new category of camera person and increasing the upper age limit for participation to 28 years.
Speaking on this year’s awards that come with added attraction, Mallika Kapur, the London-based reporter and producer for CNN International, said, “With every year we are adding new dimension to the YJA and this year’s additions are based on feedback from participant and editors.”
Dwelling on the new category — an award for the best camera person of year — Kapur said camera person are “very critical” to every report.”Keeping these things in mind,we decided to recognise a camera person’s contribution too,” she added.
The winner in this category will do a stint a at CNN’s Hong Kong bureau.
According to Kapur, who hails from Kolkata and did a stint with The Statesman there, the changing media scene in India looks “very exciting,” especially the regional media.
“The broadcast scenario despite being comparatively young in India is doing exceedingly well with various news channels doing some excellent work,” she gushed.
A first-of-its-kind award in the sub-continent to recognise quality journalism among young media professionals, CNN YJA 2005 is open to all journalists between the ages of 22 and 28 years from electronic, online and print media in India and Pakistan. The last date for submission of entries is October 15, 2005.
The best and valid entry in the television and print/online category will each win the title ‘CNN Young Journalist of the Year’ and will further undergo an intense schedule at CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, designed to add value to their existing journalistic experience.
The winners will be given a thorough insight into the functioning of the world’s leading news network through a one-week stint at CNN Centre giving the winners a detailed overview of how the network operates. They will also meet with CNN International’s editors and anchors, and experience first-hand the workings of CNN’s editorial and programming teams.
The second best and valid entry in television and print/online category will observe and assist at the CNN news bureau in New Delhi for winners from India or CNN news bureau in Islamabad for winners from Pakistan for up to seven days. The winner of the Camera person of the Year Category will also undergo a week’s training at CNN’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong. The winner will follow an intensive training schedule and work closely with CNN’s editorial team stationed in Hong Kong.
Entrants to the television category must submit a feature style television news package that has been produced and aired between 1 January and 30 September, 2005. Submission must relate to a general news story relevant to any part of India or Pakistan.
For the print/ online category entries must include three copies of the original article or photocopy of the news article written solely by the Entrant and published in an Indian publication or on an Indian website during the period 1 January and 30 September 2005.
Entrants to the Camera person of the Year category must submit a feature-style television news package that has been produced and aired between 1 January and 30 September, 2005. Submission must relate to a general news story relevant to any part of India or Pakistan and also be accompanied by a note of a maximum of 250 words, stating what circumstances the piece was shot under.
Entry forms can be obtained either by writing to Turner International India office in Delhi or by logging on to the CNN website, http://www.cnnasiapacific.com/yja. All entry forms must be accompanied by proof of age and experience.
The CNN Young Journalist Award 2004 was awarded to Rahul Agarwal, Zee News in the TV category and Vikas Dhoot, Businessworld in the print/online category. Aman Khanna previously with Tehelka – The People’s Newspaper in the print/online category and Wajid Ali Syed previously with Geo Television, Pakistan in the Television category were felicitated with the runners up award. The awards were presented by CNN International managing editor Paul Cutler at a special award ceremony held in Mumbai in December 2004.
Like the preceding editions, CNN YJA 2005 would be adjudged by a panel comprising distinguished television and print journalists. The 2004 jury comprised Doordarshan DDG K. Kunhikrishnan, School of Convergence director Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) New Delhi director Prof B P Sanjay, columnist Sucheta Dalal, columnist Dr Muhammad Saffiq Jullandhry, Pakistan Advertising Institute former director Nisar Ahmad Zuberi and CNN’s New Delhi bureau chief and senior international correspondent Satinder Bindra.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
