News Broadcasting
Decision on Star News uplink extension likely Thursday
NEW DELHI: The government is determined to keep Star News on tenterhooks as it did not take a decision on its uplinking even today.
A senior government official told reporters today evening that the lengthy replies filed by Media Content and Communications Services India Pvt. Ltd. (MCCS), which has sought government nod for uplinking news content for Star News from India, are still being studied. “A decision (on the weekly extension being given till now) is likely to be taken tomorrow,” the official said.
According to Kaushal Dalal, a board member of MCCS who met the information and broadcasting ministry officials today, “The government is yet to take a final view on our case, but we are protected by the Mumbai high court ruling, which will ensure that the uplinking continues even after the deadline expires.”
MCCS had moved the courts against Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL), which uplinks content from India for Star News, from terminating the process arbitrarily. The court had observed that VSNL is free to come back to the court if it thinks that the government has directed Star News on something or had not given it the temporary uplink permission. VSNL cannot stop uplinking without informing the court even if the government decides to stop giving Star News the weekly extension it had been giving for the last four weeks.
However, government officials indicated that the replies of Star News are exhaustive and cover most of the areas which had been questioned by the government.
An executive of Star, which holds 26 per cent stake in MCCS, said in private that the case of Star News seems to be a long drawn affair.
Meanwhile, tomorrow in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament the government— read I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad — is likely to face a barrage of questions on conditional access system and also on Star News. Some opposition Members of Parliament, reportedly, have been doing their homework on CAS and Star News by getting feedback from a few journalists on the media beat.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
