Prasar Bharati’s new chairman: Ex-IAS officer known for handling UP govt’s PR department

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharti got a new chairman on Saturday with the appointment of former IAS officer Navneet Sehgal to the top post.  

Sehgal earlier led the Uttar Pradesh government’s public relations and sports departments as its principal secretary, and is known for his proximity to industrialists, actors, and sports associations. He reportedly also worked closely with Prime Minister Modi’s office. 

The bureaucrat’s appointment to the Prasar Bharati top post comes weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and after a hiatus of three years. The last chairman was journalist A Surya Prakash, whose three-year term ended in February 2020. Prasar Bharati operates DD News, Doordarshan and Akashvani.

Sehgal was selected by a three-member panel led by Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, and comprising the Press Council of India chairperson Ranjana Prakash Desai and a nominee of the President. 

Newslaundry earlier reported that the public broadcaster also began its news sharing service to offer content “free of copyright” to registered outlets, including newspapers, magazines, TV channels, digital outlets and “even social media news channels”, Read here.

Recently, the public broadcaster also began airing Ayodhya’s Ram temple prayer rituals everyday. Read here.