MAM
Ankit Shukla appointed as group editor at Prabhat Khabar
RANCHI: Prabhat Khabar has promoted Ankit Shukla to group editor, handing him full command of both print and digital editorial operations as the Hindi newspaper doubles down on newsroom integration and digital growth.
Shukla, who was serving as managing editor, will now oversee all editions of the Ranchi-headquartered daily while driving its expansion across platforms. The move signals a push towards tighter editorial control, faster decision-making and a more aggressive digital strategy in a fiercely competitive Hindi news market.
With more than two decades in journalism, Shukla brings deep experience across regional and national newsrooms. His career spans leading organisations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, Dainik Jagran iNext, Amar Ujala and DB Corp. During a nearly 17-year stint with the Dainik Bhaskar group, he rose from chief sub-editor to state editor, steering editorial operations across Bihar and Jharkhand.
An alumnus of Makhanlal Chaturvedi Journalism University, Shukla is known for impact-driven journalism, from editorial campaigns that led to CCTV cameras, GPS systems and women attendants in Chandigarh schools to an extensive ground report on naxalism that covered more than 5,000 km.
Now at the helm of Prabhat Khabar’s combined newsroom, Shukla is expected to sharpen the paper’s editorial edge, break silos between print and digital, and chase growth with speed and swagger. In a news business where attention is currency, the brief is clear: move fast, hit hard and own the story.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
