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Subhash Chandra elected to Rajya Sabha as independent member
NEW DELHI: Essel Group Chairman and noted philanthropist Subhash Chandra has been elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate from Haryana.
Chandra was supported by the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party who receoived 29 votes.
His election coincides with the Essel Group completing ninety years of existence.
Chandra launched the first private satellite television channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel Zee News.
For his outstanding contributions to the media industry, Dr Chandra was awarded the 2011 International Emmy Directorate Award at the 39th International Emmy Awards in New York – first to receive the award recognizing excellence in television programming outside the United States.
He also now presents a weekly Dr Subhash Chandra Show, where he shares the lessons learnt by him in his journey with an invited audience and an estimated 230+ million viewers across the country and overseas.
Born on 30 November 1950, he dropped out of school in 1970 while in 10th grade to join family business of commission agent and trader who procured and supplied rice to Food Corporation of India.
In the 1980s, he started manufacturing flexible packaging (mainly plastic tubes) for toothpaste, etc. under the name Essel Packaging. He followed up with a leisure park EsselWorld in north Mumbai. In 1992, he launched Zee Television, in collaboration with Li Ka Shing and the first online lottery and first Dish TV in India.
His TV channels number around 70 in different languagesHe started the Indian Cricket League, a domestic Twenty20 league but failed.In November 2009, he took over management responsibility of the English Daily News & Analysis (DNA) newspaper. The DNA had been launched in 2005 in collaboration with the Dainik Bhaskar group/ Chandra is the founder-Chairman of the Global Foundation for Civilizational Harmony, an interfaith group. He has donated land for Global Vipassana Pagoda at Borivili and contributed to the spread of this meditation method.
Late last month, Chandra stepped down from the post of director and non-executive chairman of Zee Media.
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.
