News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak bags best campaign honour at RAPA awards
Hindi news channel Aaj Tak has bagged the Best Campaign of the Year (TV) Award at the 27th Radio and TV Advertising Practitioners’ Association of India (RAPA) Awards 2001. The awards function is to held this evening in Mumbai.
Through the ad campaign, Aaj Tak wanted to put forth the message that it was serious about the business of news coverage 24-hours a day. The channel knew the importance of the ad having universal appeal and so it looked at situations where the serious facet of the brand could be accompanied by an underlying sense of humour, says a company release.
The campaign was conceptualised by Gajraj Rao of Apocalypso Filmworks. According to Apocalypso director Pradeep Sarkar, ” We were given a free hand. The challenge was to mark the transition of Aaj Tak from a 1/2-hour programme to a 24-hour news channel and then as the Sabse Tez channel. The idea of using a black and white, humorous and old style juxtaposed with contemporary themes was to highlight the changes that it would make in our lives. The RAPA awards are a sure sign of the appreciation and success that the ads have achieved.”
The channel has earlier been honoured by the Indian Television Academy and Media Meet. RAPA claims to have received a record number of entries this year. All Radio and TV entries produced in India and broadcast and telecast for the first time, in any part of the world, between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2001 were eligible to compete.RAPA claims to be the only organisation that honours and gives awards in 48 categories and 17 India languages.
Other dignitaries expected to be present at the RAPA event include Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, Mumbai’s sheriff Kiran Shantaram and film director Mahesh Bhatt.
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.
