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“In Prannoy’s legacy lives a hope:” Uday Shankar
MUMBAI: NDTV executive co-chairman Dr Prannoy Roy was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recently held Red Ink Awards 2015.
Star India CEO Uday Shankar presented the award to Roy and thanked him for giving the country and the media community “not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, industry, business and communication’ through ‘professional television journalism.”
Shankar said, “Let me tell you a story. This is from when people like us had just gone to college and television had just come in. It was a device for occasional viewing. And suddenly one night, when I was looking for something interesting to do — something a little more interesting than watch Krishi Darshan on TV – there popped a show, which was talking about what was happening in the US, UK and China, and there was a young man with a beard who was presenting the show. That show was called The World This Week, and that was my first interaction with what TV was meant to be.”
Talking more about Roy and the show, Shankar added, “Here we were, fed on a diet of what came out of Mandi House, and suddenly, we saw this show, which was about information, production, technology, graphics, and credibility of presentation. That was the day I decided that television was a viable and exciting career option. And when I say this here tonight, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels so.”
Shankar, during his opening remarks, said that a large number of people who came to television were drawn by the personality, charisma and opportunity or potential to contribute because of what they saw through the eyes of Prannoy Roy.
“There are a very few people who can retire — at some stage I hope he will — but there are very few people who can retire with the satisfaction that they created not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, an industry, business and communication,” he added.
Describing the work done by Roy, Shankar said, “This country had only Doordarshan and nothing else… this country had no reference to what modern, professional television communication could be… and in came Prannoy with his vision, content, production and everything, and set these standards and thereby saved us almost two-to-two-and-a-half decades of the growth curve, the learning curve that all of us would have necessarily had to go through in order to get to a level of professional television journalism and communication.”
Roy became the reference point for Shankar, when he came to try his hand at TV. “We had The World This Week, NDTV, Prannoy Roy and his brand of journalism. And the sheen of that brand of journalism has never been dull. His legacy lives on, and in that legacy lives on a hope,” he concluded.
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.
