News Broadcasting
DD’s news correspondent freeze
NEW DELHI: Is state-owned broadcaster DD saddled with an ageing news correspondent network? If one goes by information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni’s admission in parliament, then this probably is true. She said that no appointments of news correspondents had been made in Doordarshan since the first selection of 51 persons to the posts of news correspondents, assistant news correspondents, and assistant news editors in 1988.
She added that a proposal for appointment of a principal television correspondent and two special news correspondents in Doordarshan and Recruitments Rules in this regard are pending before the finance and personnel ministries respectively.
Thus, the recruitment was made 15 years before the creation of Doordarshan News in 2003, and Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that some persons have been appointed as
‘artists’ from time to time apart from Indian Information Service officers being sent on deputation to DD News. These sources said that at present, Doordarshan has two TV news correspondents, three assistant news correspondents, and 12 TV news correspondents deputed to
various regional kendras.
The 18 TV news correspondents, 27 TV assistant news correspondents, and six TV assistant news editors appointed in 1988 as artists were in May 1993 declared as government servants from the date of their appointment.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni also denied that the Ministry had furnished any undertaking about acceptance of the Joshi Committee of 1985 that had suggested creation of a separate cadre of news correspondents for the pubcaster.
When the Central Administrative Tribunal in Hyderabad had in November 2000 on a petition filed by one correspondent directed Prasar Bharati to induct the applicant in the Indian Broadcasting (Programming) Service, the Government had challenged this decision in the Hyderabad High Court and obtained a stay in April 2001 and the matter was still pending and therefore, sub judice.
The Government, however, claimed that assured career progression had been given to all eligible officers. Meanwhile, it is learnt that subsequent to the Joshi Committee report of 1985, the Urmila Gupta Committee had also recommended creation of a separate cadre for news correspondents. It had opposed the merger of news cadre into the Indian Broadcasting (Programming) Service. This service provides for programme management cadre and programme production cadre in All India
Radio and Doordarshan.
Earlier in February this year, a parliamentary committee in a strongly-worded report regretted that no recruitment has been made in the Indian Broadcasting (Programme) Service, started in 1990, to train a separate cadre of employees for All India Radio and Doordarshan.
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.
