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New Delhi: Economist and author Bibek Debroy, former Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, economist Sanjeev Sanyal and noted endocrinologist Dr Ambareesh Mithal are some of the eminent public figures who are all set to grace the television screen as the new Parliament TV is ready for a soft. – Launch soon, ThePrint finds out.
Debroy will host a special program on Hinduism, while Singh will present a show on various religions which will include Buddhism, Islam and Jainism. Kant, Sanyal and Mithal will host programs on infrastructure, economy and health respectively.
Sansad TV, which will merge the existing channels Lok Sabha (LSTV) and Rajya Sabha Television (RSTV), will broadcast proceedings from both the houses during the Parliament session.
At other times, it will broadcast a bouquet of shows in Hindi and English on news and current affairs, including 15 flagship programs on various topics such as health, economy, gender, religion, democracy and others, by high-profile public figures. are organized.
Parliament sources privy to the developments told ThePrint that Parliament TV will have two channels – one will air throughout the year and will broadcast news, current affairs, panel discussions and news features while the other will be active only when the House is in session. Be.
“When the House is in session, one channel will broadcast the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and the other will broadcast the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. When the House is not in session, programs will be telecast in only one channel with a general audience,” said a senior official of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, who did not wish to be named.
“50 new programs have been conceived internally and are currently being recorded. Of these, 15 will be major events which will be organized by high profile public figures, other events will include functioning of Parliament, State Assemblies, current issues etc. There will be a half-hour daily news bulletin. Added, further noting that the channel was ready to be launched.
An official order issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on March 1 stated that the decision to merge LSTV and RSTV was taken jointly by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
However, discussions on the merger started earlier As around 2017 it was realized that both channels were duplicating efforts and resources, creating additional financial burden.
In November 2019, former Prasar Bharati chairman A.K. A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Surya Prakash. The committee in its report had recommended a unified channel for Parliament.
Lok Sabha television was launched in 2006 by the then Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, while Rajya Sabha TV hit the screens in 2011.
Read also: When Mahua Moitra Speaks in Parliament, Lok Sabha TV Goes from Low Definition to Ultra HD
Who will control Parliament TV
Sansad TV is headed by retired IAS officer Ravi Kapoor, who was appointed CEO for a year in March, while Manoj K. Arora has been appointed as the interim editor-in-chief.
There will be a governing body and an Apex Committee for the channel, with the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as members. The Apex Committee will govern Parliament TV including deciding on the content and programmes.
However, the budget of Parliament TV will be shared jointly by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
“While the Lok Sabha will bear two-thirds of the total cost, the Rajya Sabha will bear one-third,” an official of the Lok Sabha Secretariat told ThePrint.
As of now, Sansad TV has about 250 employees, which includes staff from both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TVs, and includes around 17-18 anchors. No new recruitment has been done at this time.
“These are contract workers. No one has been laid off. Rationalization will happen in a few months,” the senior RS secretariat official was quoted as saying earlier.
Sansad TV will operate from the same Mahadev Road office in Delhi, which was earlier used by Lok Sabha TV.
“The office has been remodeled with all the infrastructure. Parliament TV is ready for launch. We are waiting for the date of the inauguration to be decided,” said an official of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
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