Ex bureaucrat NK Sehgal becomes new chairman of Prasar Bharati

The Central Government has appointed retired bureaucrat Navneet Kumar Sehgal the new Chairman of Prasar Bharati on 15 March 2024. Navneet Kumar Sehgal has got this post in place of A Surya Prakash. Navneet Sehgal has become the seventh president of Prasar Bharati.

The post of Chairman of Prasar Bharati was vacant for four years:

• This post of Chairman of Prasar Bharati was lying vacant for the last four years. A Surya Prakash's tenure ended in February 2020 itself.
• A. Surya Prakash retired in February 2020 after serving for two consecutive terms since 2014.
• According to an order issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Navneet Kumar Sehgal, on the recommendation of the President Selection Committee, has been appointed the Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board.

Tenure of the post of President of Prasar Bharati:

• The tenure of Navneet Kumar Sehgal would be for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or he would remain appointed to this post till he attains the age of seventy years.

The meeting was chaired by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar:

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar chaired a meeting on March 15, 2024, to select the chairman of the country's public broadcaster.
• The Vice President, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, also heads the selection panel for the post of Chairman of Prasar Bharati.
• The Chairman of the Press Council of India and a person nominated by the President complete the three-member panel.
• The meeting was attended by Press Council of India Chairperson Justice Ranjana Desai (Retd) and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju.

About Prasar Bharati:

• Prasar Bharati is a statutory autonomous body.
• Prasar Bharati is the government broadcasting center of the country.
• Prasar Bharati, India's public service broadcaster, was established under the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990. It was established on November 23, 1997.
• The main objective of Prasar Bharati Corporation is to provide autonomy to Doordarshan and All India Radio. So that ‘the public can be educated as well as entertained’. It is possible to successfully organize and operate public broadcasting services through Prasar Bharati.
• Akashvani (All India Radio - Radio Network) and Doordarshan (Television Network) are its major components.
• First Chairman of Prasar Bharati: Nikhil Chakraborty