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Suresh Panda may be Prasar Bharati interim CEO; liberal DD auction criteria recommended
NEW DELHI: Suresh Panda, member (personnel) in Prasar Bharati is expected to take over as the acting chief executive officer of the pubcaster after the incumbent CEO Jawhar Sircar demits office on 4 November.
The Prasar Bharati Board has recommended relaxation in the criteria for auction of prime time slots on DD National. This decision was taken at a meeting of the Board held today under the chairmanship of Dr Surya Prakash.
However, Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that Panda’s ad hoc charge will be subject to approval by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
After 4 November, a high-level committee headed by India’s vice-president Hamid Ansari will meet as stipulated in the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 to select a new CEO.
Meanwhile, the Board also took some decisions with regard to the proposed auction of prime time slots on Doordarshan National.
It was decided, among other changes, to fix the minimum reserve price for the auction of half-hour slots at Rs 1,50,000. Full details were not available but there may also be a reduction in the total number of hours a prospective producer should have clocked either as a filmmaker or as television producer.
The slot auction was first announced in June but failed as there were no bidders, while those who bid the second time late last month failed to meet the minimum requirements.
The regulations had been relaxed and the second auction had been fixed for 5 September.
Under the rules until now, only producers/production houses that have produced at least 200 hours of general entertainment programming including feature film production in any Indian language in the last three years will be eligible to apply for bidding for slots on the national channel of Doordarshan.
Following a revision of terms after June, the Prasar Bharati Board had said that production houses with a turnover of minimum Rs 3 crore per annum in the field of TV and Film production in the last three financial years are eligible to apply.
Applicants for weekend slots in the genres of Reality, Game, Quiz, should have produced 100 hrs of such content in the last 3 years.
Earlier, only those with production in television and a minimum of 300 hours had been allowed. But this has been amplified ti include film production houses and 200 hours of entertainment programming.
Successful bidder(s) will produce fresh programmes in various genres of general entertainment programme for Doordarshan adhering to the programming/broadcasting codes of Prasar Bharati.
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.
