News Headline
ETC Punjabi ready with annual music awards
MUMBAI: The second annual ETC Channel Punjabi Music Awards will be held on 27 February at Jalandhar. The awards honour outstanding achievements in Punjabi music in various categories including singing, composing, music direction and choreography.
The event, scheduled to start at 6:30 pm, will be telecast live on ETC Channel Punjabi and Alpha TV Punjabi simultaneously.
Says ETC Networks CEO J. S. Kohli, “Through this ceremony, we intend to honour excellence in various forms of Punjabi music. We will also honour some of the veterans of Punjabi music with lifetime achievement awards for their remarkable contribution made in the field of Punjabi Music.”
“Remarkably last year ETCP Music Awards got a bigger channel share than even the Filmfare Awards. Both the awards were held on the same night but ETCP Music Awards got a channel share of 40 per cent as against the small 6 per cent share of Filmfare Awards in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh region as per TAM report. This itself shows how popular this award ceremony is in Punjab region,” offers ETC Punjabi president Rabindra Narayan.
Adds ETC Punjabi vice president Rajiee M Shinde, “The selection procedure is fair, transparent, unbiased and is modeled on the lines of international awards of repute in which the general public and an elite panel of judges will jointly select the winners. The night will be made livelier with performances by some of the biggest stars of Punjabi Music industry like Gurdas Mann, Jazzy B and Sukhshinder Shinda. The event will witness the special computer controlled lighting and 20,000 watts of sound, which is rarely seen by the audience of Punjab.”
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.
