News Broadcasting
Dasmunsi weighs in to NewsX fracas
NEW DELHI: Reiterating that the government would not interfere in the internal affairs or administraton of any media house or television channel, information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today appealed to all media channels that contractual obligations relating to employees on contract shoud be honoured and valued.
In a statement after a meeting with a delegation of senior and eminent electronic media journalists and news editors of the NewsX channel, he said, “Whenever any media personnel is engaged on some contract, their contractual terms should be valued and honoured including the financial clauses.”
Meanwhile, he referred the matter to the concerned desk of the finance ministry to ascertain the facts through their investigation wing relating to the source of channel funding as he said that he was “not competent to react” to the issue.
The employees explained about the injustice and what they described as “the shocking treatment” being meted out to them by the security staff and other persons who were later sacked.
The minister refused to interfere keeping in view the independence and autonomy of the media. But he opined that the manner in which the eminent editors have been treated and the rights of media personnel reportedly infringed upon is really a matter of great concern for free and fair journalism in the country.
He said if the contractual obligatons are not honoured, the “hire-and-fire mechanism shall not provide honour and confidence to the engaged media personnel in the country, wherever they may be.”
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the executive director Avirook Sen, it has been stated that a 24-year old producer named Kailash Menon had been summoned to the basement of the NewsX headquarters and intimidated into signing a prepared resignation letter. No grounds for removal were offered, the statement says.
Sen says when he confronted the four people who intimidated the producer into signing a false statement, he was called to the basement and threatened by four persons from the HR department with criminal action if he did not resign.
They also said that if he refused to resign they could issue a termination letter. He claims that he was manhandled by security guards while this letter was being prepared. They sought to forcibly take his laptop and also took the keys of his car from the driver, while preventing other staff entering his chamber.
“I am challenging my dismissal legally. But what is most shocking is how INX treats senior journalists. Yesterday’s incident is unprecedented in the history of Indian journalism,” he said in the statement.
However, INX Media dubs the circumstances pertaining to Sen’s termination as “rumours in the media circles.”
An official statement said, “We would like to state that the company was forced to summarily terminate Sen’s services because he was found to be utilizing his office laptop to access pornographic content on the internet. This is violative of company policy besides being illegal as per the law of the land. Consequently, Sen’s employment agreement was terminated.”
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.
