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New NBA president Rajat Sharma to strive for healthy competition in fraternity
MUMBAI: There’s change at the top at the News Broadcasters Association (NBA). And returning to the helm of the news television collective is India TV founder & chairman Rajat Sharma who has been elected as the president for 2017-2018.
The bespectacled soft spoken-but-hard-questioning Sharma had served as the NBA president from 2014 to 2016. So he is quite familiar with the challenges that the NBA leadership brings with it.
“As the new president, I take the opportunity to reassure members that we shall walk together in bringing in more credibility and independence to the news broadcasting industry,” said Sharma. “I shall put in my best efforts to make the fraternity more accepting of our contemporaries, striving for healthy competition.”
He was the last president to serve out his full terms at the NBA. He was replaced by then ABP chief executive Ashok Venkatramani for 2016-2017. When Venkatramani departed ABP News as CEO last year and stepped down from the presidency mid-way, his shoes at the NBA were filled by India Today group CEO Ashish Bagga. Bagga too left India Today a couple of months ago and the NBA was president-less since.
Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing whole-time director MV Shreyams Kumar has replaced Times Now MD & CEO MK Anand as the vice-president, even as News24 Broadcast India chairman & managing director Anurradha Prasad was elected as the treasurer.
The NBA has also elected other members to its board. Among them: M.K. Anand, NDTV group CEO & executive vice-chair person K.V.L. Narayan Rao, TV18 Broadcast CEO news & group editor in charge Rahul Joshi, Zee Media executive director & COO Rajiv Singh, ABP News Network COO Avinash Pandey and Eenadu Television director I Venkat.
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.
