Media Persisted with Empowering People Despite Pay Cuts Due to Covid
Caste census in Bihar: will it aid developmental work or fuel social divide?
Caste is a deeply rooted factor in Bihar politics. The survey for the much-talked-about caste census began in the state on January 7 and it is likely to be completed by May 31, 2023. How will it affect the state? Will it aid in developmental work as claimed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, or fuel further social divide in the state?
‘Kala Azar’ now confined in only 4 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand; people’s awareness key to eliminate it: Modi
Till recently, the scourge of ‘Kala Azar’ was spread in more than 50 districts across 4 states. But now this disease is confined to only 4 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand. Awareness of the people of Bihar-Jharkhand will help the government’s efforts to eliminate ‘Kala Azar’ from these four districts as well, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
When will India become a developed nation? It will take at least 20 years, says Ex-RBI Governor
There have been several targets and projections for India to become a developed nation. But, when exactly, can India become a developed nation? According to the former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor C Rangarajan, it will take at least two decades of sustained 8 to 9 per cent of annual GDP growth to take India into a developed nation league.
Mudra Yojana: Rs 20.43 lakh crore loan disbursed since inception in 2015
More than 37.76 crore collateral-free loans amounting to over Rs 20.43 lakh crore have been disbursed to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) scheme since its inception in April 2015, the government data shows.
Giriraj Singh calls for need-based skill mapping for employment and training in rural India
Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh has called for need-based skill mapping for employment and training to India’s youth, mainly in the rural areas. The Minister urged to explore means to see how best the traditional trades can be integrated with electronic, education and training, IT & BPO and tourism and hospitality sectors to create more employment opportunities for the youth in the country.
By Team BiharConnect
Media sector has been hit hard due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. A large number of media persons have lost their jobs and those who have managed to save the job had to take cut in the pay. Despite this tough economic condition media at large have persisted with the mission of empowering the people with information.
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has termed media persons on the ground as ‘frontline warriors’ for their dedicated efforts in presenting the narrative of the pandemic for wider awakening.
“With the economy contracting due to restrictions, advertisement revenues have dried up. Scale of operations had to be adjusted and a good number of media persons had to take a cut in the pay. But, by and large, the media persisted with the mission of empowering the people, when it is needed the most,” Naidu said in his Facebook post titled “Media: Our Partner in Corona Times”.
He hailed the media for empowering the people with necessary information, analyses and perspectives about various aspects of the outbreak of coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic and partnering with the anxious people in the ongoing fight against the disease.
Naidu noted that masked reporters persisted with unmasking the ground realities like the hardship of migrant workers on their way home and in the process, some of them were tested positive and some even lost their lives.
He said that when people run into adversity, they look for information regarding its causes and consequences, its duration and the means of coping with it and it falls on the central and state governments and media to equip the people accordingly.
Besides being a vehicle of much required empowerment of people for taking informed actions against the spread of virus and fighting the disease, media played the role of a chronicler of the pandemic for use by prospective historians of the pandemic and as the bridge between the people and the governments for regular communication on the preparedness.
Naidu said that media also set the agenda for debates in the parliamentary institutions with analytical insights into various aspects of the pandemic and its impacts on different sections of the society.
“I follow more closely the print media. The amount of space provided for coronavirus and the unfolding pandemic, outscored even war time reporting. Innovative product spaces have been introduced and persisted with to cater to the information hungry readers. Extensive analyses of various aspects of the disease and its impacts still continue in a mission mode,” he added.
Vice President observed that without the pro-active and missionary role played by the media, there would have been a vacuum in the fight against the pandemic. Regarding the agenda setting role of the media Naidu said: “By highlighting various aspects of the pandemic and documenting the same in factual and analytical manner, the media has set the agenda for debates and discussions on the management of the pandemic in our parliamentary institutions. Media reports would be the principal sources of reference for raising relevant issues.”