News Broadcasting
Bengali magazine ‘Prothoma Ekhon’ closes down
KOLKATA: Future Institute of Engineering and Management (FIEM) that had taken over Saradha owned defunct Bengali magazine ‘Paroma’ last year and started afresh as ‘Prothoma Ekhon’ has decided to shut shop, citing huge losses as the reason. The move has left around 35 employees including journalists and technical staff jobless.
“We have closed down the fortnight magazine as we could not sell it,” informs a FIEM official on condition of anonymity to indiantelevisioin.com.
‘Paroma’ was launched by Kolkata-headquartered Saradha Group of companies with critically acclaimed filmmaker, screenwriter and actress Aparna Sen running the show.
But many media ventures of the Kolkata headquartered company like Sakalbela, The Bengal Post, Azad Hind, Prabhat Varta and the Seven Sisters Post, including ‘Paroma’ closed down after the company’s chit fund went bust last year in April.
It was then that FIEM took charge and re-launched the magazine in July 2013. The fortnightly was a mix of other best-selling Bengali magazines like ‘Desh’ and ‘Sananda’ that catered to women and the intellectuals.
“The first issue was a total sold out,” recalls an employee. “The response from the market was so good, that the management at one point was considering increasing the number of pages,” the source adds.
“The RNI was in the name of Saradha only, as we did not get it transferred on our name. We tried to revive it but it was not selling instead of our repeated attempts,” the FIEM official informs.
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.
