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Digicable plea for placement fee from News Express allowed for analogue areas only: TDSAT
New Delhi: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal has partially allowed a petition by MSO Digicable Network (India) Pvt. Ltd claiming analogue placement charges from Sai Prasad Media Pvt. Ltd which own the News Express Channel for a sum of Rs 63,03,058.
Chairman Aftab Alam and members Kuldip Singh and B B Srivastava said the amount will carry interest at 18 per cent from the date of filing of the petition till the date of realization. The office was directed to make a decree accordingly. The Tribunal turned down the petition in so far as it related to the areas that came under digital addressable system
However, the Tribunal said, “We find it difficult to hold that the petitioner was able to fully discharge its obligations under the digital placement agreement dated 16 July 2012 for the areas of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The Tribunal said that it is not possible to divide the amount of the placement charges from the invoices and the statement of account under the digital placement agreement and to allow the petitioner’s claim for the rest of the areas. It is, therefore, not possible to allow the petitioner’s claim under the digital placement agreement and the claim in so far it relates to the agreement dated 16 July 2012 must fail.
On the petitioner’s claim that the towns of UP were still to come under the digital addressable system regime and there could be no agreement for transmission of channel in those towns in digital mode, the Tribunal said” “There is no law that prevents digital transmission in areas where the digital regime is yet to be implemented in terms of the notification issued by the Central Government.”
Digicable had filed the petition for recovery of Rs 2,73,39,000 as dues of channel placement charges from Sai Prasad Media Pvt. Ltd for carrying its channel News Express on its digital as well as analogue cable TV networks. The amount was claimed along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum from the date the payment was due up to the date of payment.
The claim of the petitioner was based on two channel placement agreements. The first one was in respect of areas where Digicable had a digital cable network. This agreement was executed on 16 July 2012 for the period 16 July 2012 to 15 July 2013. The second agreement was for certain areas where Digicable was doing transmission in analogue mode and was executed on 09 August 2012 for the period 9 August 2012 to 8 August 2013.
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.
