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Alok Verma to head TV Today spl. projects
NEW DELHI: Changes are taking place in TV Today Network-run television channels as it looks at expanding its current level of business activities.
One of the two executive producers in Aaj Tak channel, Alok Verma, has been shifted out of his present assignment last week only.
Former Navbharat Times editor, Ram Kripal Singh, who joined over a fortnight ago, is now overlooking Verma’s responsibilities.
Confirming the changes in the organisation, Aaj Tak news director QW Naqvi told indiantelevision.com, “Ram Kripal Singh is in charge of assignments, while Alok Verma has been made the head of special projects.”
Naqvi, however, refused to give any details about the special project(s), which Verma would be heading as an executive producer.
Aaj Tak, the country’s No. 1 news channel till now, is also in search of an executive producer (output), a post that had fallen vacant after Shazi Zaman quit the post to join Star News about a month back. It is not yet certain
whether an internal candidate would be promoted to EP’s post, or somebody from outside would be brought in for this senior position.
Verma, who has been made head of special projects, cut his teeth in journalism in the print medium like Ram Kripal Singh. He has worked in the past in the Lokmat group, Zee News and Star India in senior positions.
Meanwhile, search is also on in TV Today Network, whose scrip was quoting at Rs. 90.90 on the Bombay Stock Exchange today at 1300 hours, for a person to head the company’s fledgling radio venture, Radio Today.
Radio Today’s head, Nischint Chawla, quit last week and was also relieved on Friday by the company to pursue other assignments, which now turns out to be a stint with Rediff.com as the head of its US operations.
Though India Today Group’s chief financial officer, Anil Mehra, has been entrusted to oversee the radio business, at present carried out under the Red FM brand name, company sources said this was an interim measure.
“We are in the look out for a person to head Radio Today, but this may take some time as we do not want to hurry things through,” a company source said.
Amongst his other assignments, Chawla has worked with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star and a KK Modi group company, Modi Entertainment Network.
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.
