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THUMS UP and Being Human campaign ‘VEER’
MUMBAI: Thums-Up Being Human VEER in association with CNN-IBN and American India Foundation (AIF), have started VEER, an awareness and fundraising campaign to unleash the potential of persons with disabilities (PwD) and make them employable. At the gala grand finale of this unique initiative held in Mumbai recently, we celebrated the rise of some of India’s most well known PwDs and took up the need for enabling PwDs by recognising their inner abilities.
Led by campaign ambassador Salman Khan, the panellists stressed the need to change social mindsets towards disability. The expert panel included: Sudha Chandran, Bharatanatyam dancer and actor; lyricist and poet Prasoon Joshi; Hemanth Paul, Country Director, AIF; Debabrata Mukerjee, Vice President, Marketing and Commercial at Coca-Cola India; Neelam Jolly, Founder, Vishwas; Prasana Karmakar, Arjuna awardee para swimmer; Mithu Alur, Founder, ADAPT; actor Anupam Kher; and Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, Founder, War Wounded Foundation.
During the event, the stage was taken over by breathtaking performances by PwDs. The performers included students of VMS School who performed malkhamb, visually impaired signer Diwakar, and partially blind standup comedian Sundeep Rao among others. Various celebrities such as Anup Soni, Gulshan Grover, Rahul Roy, Vishakha Singh, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhaskar, and Urvashi Dholakia also attended the event and lent their support to the campaign.
Catch the Grand Finale of Veer on Saturday, March 29, at 9:30 PM on CNN-IBN & at 10:00 PM on IBN7; and on Sunday, March 30 at 10:00 PM on CNN-IBN & at 12:00 PM on IBN7.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
