Harish Gupta ( National Editor, Lokmat Group)
New Delhi, July 3
For the first time after its creation 23 years of its existence, the Modi government has decided to set up a separate Recruitment Board for the public broadcaster.
A beginning was made on July 1 when Jagdish Upasane, senior journalist was appointed as its chairman.
The 5-member recruitment board for will recruit persons for the various TV channels, Radio division and other institutions under it. Upasane will have a scale of pay less than that of a Joint Secretary to the government of India.
A former journalist and Director Bharat Prakashan Jagdish Upasane has been named as the chairperson of the recruitment board.
The government is set to appoint new Chairman of the Prasar Bharti Board also after A Surya Prakash retired a few months ago. There are reports that a leading TV Hindi journalist & anchor Umesh Upadhyay is in the reckoning for the coveted post. For the recruitment board, Joint Secretary (B-II) in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry will be an ex-officio member of the board. The board will have four other members -- Deepa Chandra, Retired ADG (Prog), Prasar Bharati; PN Bhakta, Retired ADG (Engg), Prasar Bharati; Kimbuong Kipgen, Secretary, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB); Chetan Prakash Jain, GM (HR), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.
This is the first time India’s public service broadcaster has got its own recruitment board after it was set up as an autonomous body in 1997 under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990.
The chairperson and members, other than ex-officio members, shall be entitled to a sitting fee and not be entitled to any salary or remuneration. Prasar Bharati comprises All India Radio and Doordarshan Television Network.
