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DD, AIR go paperless with 100% adoption of e-Office
New Delhi: Use of technology has turned the operations at Prasar Bharati around. It’s no more business as usual, as in less than two years, 577 Centers and 22,348 employees of Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) have embraced e-Office operations. The initiative has helped the public broadcaster to cut down its expenditure on paper by almost 45 per cent in the last two years.
“Kudos to all 500+ field units of Prasar Bharti across DD and AIR as we cross a significant milestone with 100 per cent adoption of e-office. For an organisation which was 100 per cent paper-based till three years ago, it is a remarkable transformation,” tweeted Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
According to the public broadcaster, the IT enablement of routine office functions through e-Office on the Cloud came as a blessing during the pandemic with the flexibility to work remotely, keeping operational decision making going and reducing the need for unnecessary physical movement of files.
Prasar Bharti had introduced e-Office in August 2019 a year before the pandemic spread across the world. The idea was to make operations more efficient and paperless. Of total 577 Prasar Bharati centers across the country, 10 per cent adopted e-Office in 2019 (Aug – Dec), 74 per cent in 2020 and the remaining 16 per cent have joined by 18 June, it said in a recent statement.
The transformation has not only brought speed and transparency in the working of the organisation, but led to creation of more than 50,000 e-Files with the status of every file available online. Internally, concerned departments can trace their files, whether it is in movement or parked or closed.
“On an average, the complete process of clearing one physical file used to take almost a week. Through e-Office, this has been drastically reduced to 24 hours on an average, sometimes even a couple of hours,” said the public broadcaster. As a result, the figures on total volume of cleared files over almost the last two years and average number of files cleared every month during the same period have jumped significantly, the statement added.
Apart from reducing Carbon footprint, paperless work also enhanced the COVID safety during the pandemic through remote working, work from home, etc, thus reducing the chances of infections.
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.
