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DD to offer 104 channels & MPEG-4 STBs by Mar-end
MUMBAI: Doordarshan is preparing to offer 104 channels by March-end, the pubcaster’s director-general Supriya Sahu has said. Also, with the aim of expanding its DTH platform, Doordarshan is actively considering coming out with new set-top boxes having MPEG-4 technology.
‘FreeDish’, at present, she said, has 20 million subscribers, and is the market-share leader among the seven India-based DTH players.
Sahu told PTI that the initiative was to introduce conditional access system in the DD set-top boxes. They were getting into the new MPEG-4 technology. By March-end, she said, DD would want to enhance the number of existing channels from 80 to 104.
She also said that Doordarshan’s five channels — National, News, Sports, Kisan and local — were available through digital terrestrial transmission (DTT). DTT allows Doordarshan subscribers to watch channels for free on their Android phones with a small dongle, without internet.
By 2018, she said, 44 additional cities would become digital where DTT would then be available.
Sahu said that DD had the capacity for 10 channels through DTT, adding that, once IIM Ahmedabad, entrusted with the task of preparing a business plan on DTT roadmap, gave its report by March first week, Doordarshan would decide on its strategy of providing additional five channels through DTT.
DTT, she said, was already available in 16 cities. By March, it would be available in Hyderabad, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram.
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.
