News Broadcasting
“The Southern States Are Showing the Way”: Gurcharan Das
Mumbai: “A lot of people, like me, are in the middle of the political spectrum; and I am a liberal”, said, noted public intellectual, author, and commentator, Gurcharan Das, sharing his thoughts on the Southern Rising Summit at ABP Network’s “The Southern Rising” Summit. “Being a liberal, you are on a lonely road, as there’s no one to vote for.”
Speaking on the session, “In Search of Freedom: The Personal and Political,” Gurcharan Das elaborated upon the history of India in his lifetime. “The big change is that we were economically challenged for the first 40 years,” he remarked. “The nation was shackled for a period of 40 years, and as the world witnessed Japan’s rise, it was imperative that decisive action be taken at that time”
On the education system, Das said, “Even today 80% of Indians do not have access to quality education. Only 20 percent of people have access to quality education. They can make a Silicon Valley city like Bengaluru and revolutionize the IT industry.”
“Education is not about rote learning, it’s about questioning. My advice to youths will be to live and examine life,” the author said.
When discussing the growth of southern states, he observed that “Tamil Nadu possesses a magic, with a well-established governance system. Its per capita income has witnessed a remarkable doubling. Overall, in terms of growth the southern states are showing the way.”
Speaking about his memoir, Das, shared a message for the youth, “The good reason to write your memoir is to re-live your life. My mother taught me to make a living; my father taught me to make a life”
‘The Southern Rising’ Summit was conceptualised and instituted by ABP Network as a tribute to the exceptional growth, cultural opulence, and societal harmony exemplified by the southern states of India. It aims to celebrate the spirit and richness of southern states, united on a singular mission of driving a transformative journey for India. The summit thus witnesses profound deliberations and sharing of insights by the movers and shakers of South Indian states and Union Territories.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
