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Rapa awards to be held on 7 June in Mumbai
MUMBAI: It is ‘awards’ time again. On Saturday, 7 June 2003, the 28 annual Radio and TV Advertisers Practitioners’ Association of India Ltd. aka Rapa awards will be held in Mumbai at the Taj Lands End, Bandra.
The Rapa awards was set up to contribute towards promoting the range of Indian languages in advertising through an array of activities. The awards were instituted to recognise the excellence in radio, television as well as ad fraternity.
The award ceremony that was initially supposed to be held on 30 May 2003, will be giving away awards in 17 languages and 51 categories. The association, meanwhile, received the entries for the award categories till 28 March 2003. Just like the past award ceremonies, this one also promises to be good show claiming presence of several top personalities from the entertainment fraternity, says an official release.
Besides having 51 categories this year, five special awards will also be given for outstanding performance during the year. The 17-language list includes Assamese, Bengali, Dongri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The award is unique and is the the only award to recognises so many Indian languages.
The members of the awards organising committee include chairman Danish Khan, co-chairman Shivraj Suvarna, members Vijay Behl, S Swaminathan, Atul Tiwari and Brij Mittle. A panel of well-known media professionals from the media have scrutinised over 400 official nominations sent by radio and television networks in the country, says the release.
Comprising radio and television producers, ad-agencies, scriptwriters, technicians, voices and performers, the Rapa family, for over three decades, has organised various reorientation workshops, seminars and arbitration with the media and trade besides the awards.
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.
