GECs
Senior bureaucrats-cum-journalists pass away
NEW DELHI: Two senior journalists-cum-bureaucrats belonging to the Indian Information Service, passed away over the weekend. While former editor of the Hindi wing of the United News of India, UNIVARTA, Mr Kashinath Joglekar died in the capital on Saturday aged 80, Mr Amitabh Chakrabarti died of a heart attack in Varanasi on Sunday aged 60.
Defence Minister A K Antony and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today expressed sorrow over the death of Mr Chakrabarti, who was to have retired later this year and was currently the Registrar of Newspapers in India. The last rites were performed this morning.
Mr Antony recalled Chakrabarti’s stint as head of the Publicity Wing of the Defence Ministry. Mr Mukherjee in his condolence message said that Late Mr Chakrabarti was a sincere and upright officer, whose career in the Indian Information Service was exemplary for its brilliance. Earlier in the day, Mr Mukherjee and Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutta visited the residence of late Chakrabarti. Both the deceased had held the post of Registrar of Newspapers in India during their careers.
Mr Joglekar is survived by a son and two daughters. Mr Joglekar’s wife had died a few years ago. Before becoming Univarta’s first editor in 1982 , Mr Joglekar was director of Information Department of the All India Radio. After retiring from Univarta, Mr Joglekar regularly contributed columns and articles for various newspapers and magazines.
Hailing from Kashi, Mr Joglekar began his career with a small newspaper in Varanasi, after obtaining a degree in Science and Law. During his career, he was also associated with the Allahabad edition of the Amrit Bazar Patrika as well as a newspaper called ‘Northern India’. During the Janata Party rule at the Centre, Mr Joglekar was the press secretary of the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai. After retiring from Government service, he was appointed editor of Univarta and remained in that position for five years. He was also honoured with the Ambika Prasad Vajpayee award instituted by the Uttar Pradesh Literary conference.
Mr Chakrabarti had gone to Varanasi for some official work when he suffered massive heart attack. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.
A 1971 batch IIS officer, Mr Chakrabarti had worked in various capacities holding senior posts like Additional Director General News and Current Affairs in Dordarshan News. He had worked as Additional Principal Information Officer in the Defence Ministry. He was also Prasar Bharti’s Correspondent in Washington DC
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
