News Broadcasting
CNN-IBN series takes on finance minister’s ‘pre-poll gimmick’
NEW DELHI: CNN-IBN is going to start a politico-economic series to take on the UPA government in general and the finance minister in particular with The Sixty Thousand Crore Loan Waiver, throughout this week.
In the series, CNN-IBN is going to evaluate “the possible merits, if any, of this so-called panacea to the rising farmer suicides,” a statement from the channel says.
Throughout the week, CNN-IBN’s flagship news bulletin, India at 9, will bring stories from across the country that look at the state of farmers from some of the worst-affected areas, including how banks are grappling and how political parties are politicising the entire situation in their favour.
“The series is aimed at unearthing the real impact of the Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver on those it is supposed to help. It sheds light on the plight and state of farmers across the country, for whom nothing really changes,” says CNN-IBN and IBN7 editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai.
The channel believes that the farm loan waiver is expected to benefit thirty million small and medium farmers, but in fact the figure is nothing like it.
The channel statement says that the waiver is in fact only applicable to loans taken from established and recognised banks for less than 2.5 hectares of land.
“However, a majority of the affected farmers either own more than 2.5-hectares of land and/or borrowed money from private moneylenders,” it adds.
Therefore, this means that they are exempted from the waiver and that in reality it is just a pre-poll political gimmick.
The series takes viewers through places like Bundelkhand, Vidarbha, Telengana, Haryana and even the finance minster’s constituency of Shivganga in Tamil Nadu to showcase ground realities that have been overlooked by the government’s otherwise impressive grant.
“Could it be a political carrot dangling before farmers to gain momentum before the upcoming elections? CNN-IBN finds out,” says the statement.
In addition, the series also lays focus on the growing migration of people from areas like the Azamgarh-Varanasi belt to the big cities in search of urban opportunities. For these former farmers, agriculture is no longer an option and jobs in metropolises seem more alluring.
The Sixty Thousand Crore Loan Waiver is a series that looks into the reality of the Budget’s most-hyped provision and how everything is not what meets the eye!
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
