News Broadcasting
BBC upholds programme complaint against ‘Top Gear’
MUMBAI: BBC D-G Mark Thompson has expressed confidence about the corporation being on track as far as improving the way complaints are handled is concerned.
The Beeb has published findings of the Programme Complaints Unit (PCU) for the period 1 July to 30 September 2004.
A new complaints procedure, announced earlier this year, will come into operation by early next year. In this quarter the PCU dealt with 284 complaints concerning 191 items.
49 complaints were upheld (seven of them partly). This amounts to 17.5 per cent of the total number of complaints received.
One complaint that was upheld concerned the episode of the car show Top Gear which aired on BBC Two on 25 July 2004.
Three viewers complained of one-sided treatment of the Government’s recent transport policy document and related issues. The BBC found that the treatment was largely in the style of humorous hyperbole which is the hallmark of the host Jeremy Clarkson and his co-presenters, and which is part of the programme’s appeal to its audience.
Established audience expectations of the programme are such that it has some scope to apply its particular brand of humour to topics of interest to motorists, even when those topics relate to matters of public controversy. However the BBC noted that the exchanges in question continued for long enough for it to become clear that, beneath the humour, a case in favour of one side of some controversial issues was being set out, and there should have been an element of balance.
As a result of the complaint The Top Gear production team is working on ways to provide an element of balance (where necessary) in future series, without compromising the programme’s appeal.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
