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
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
