News Broadcasting
New channel for news hungry Punjabis from Monday
Punjab Today, a 24 hour digital news channel hits the airwaves on Monday.
The new channel floated by STV Enterprises claims to be an attempt to bring Punjabis across India and those settled abroad closer by bringing news and events occurring in their home state in their mother tongue. STV chairman Jugal Jain says Punjab Today is just the first in line of a series of channels, which will be unleashed in the next six months. An Urdu channel for the state of Jammu and Kashmir is next on the cards.
Jain says Punjab Today will provide what other Punjabi channels have not done so far – coverage of local news and programming. The target viewership is 15 million Punjabis in over 100 countries, with the ultimate aim of reaching every Punjabi household around the globe. The Punjab Today team comprises senior professionals with a background in journalism, reporting, advertising sales and television software production. Former Hindustan Times staffer Avinash Singh is the COO of the channel, which will air content that has 80 per cent of news related to Punjab and the rest 20 per cent will cover areas like Udham Singh Nagar, Haryana, Himachal, J&K and other places where Punjabis have a presence.
Punjab Today will also feature other news-based programmes, including regular industry, agriculture, finance, development, and sports related content. There will also be current affairs shows, investigative features, employment news and human interest stories. STV has its own set of state-of-the-art studios and other infrastructure in Delhi, Jalandhar, Chandigarh and Mumbai. The nerve centre of newsgathering for Punjab would be Jalandhar.
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.
