The irresponsible behaviour of a section of the media, particularly social media, has been a matter of concern in the country for quite some time. When India’s Chief Justice NV Ramana flagged it at a recent event in Ranchi, we decided to do a comprehensive package on the subject. Making his comments about the media as the news peg, this week’s Cover Story informs that judges, senior advocates, prominent intellectuals and even a section of the media leaders have joined the chorus.
The questions raised by the CJI have acquired a sinister significance in today’s highly polarised India, says our report, and emphasises that it is time for the electronic, digital and social media to self-regulate. The second story in the package deals with the importance of development journalism in a country like India and rues the fact that the success stories of the ongoing development process rarely find space in the present-day media. It also stresses Blitz India’s tenet that development is not only the Government’s business but also that of media among others. Media must play a key role and act as a bridge between the Government and the people. The other story is about self-regulation in media, which has largely been a failure in India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has written an insightful piece on the historic significance of Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman from the disadvantaged Santhal community, being elected to the highest constitutional post in the country. We publish it as the Centrespread along with some pictures of the new President’s oathtaking ceremony. Lamenting the fact that the nation had to wait for 70 years to see a tribal woman reach the highest office of the land, Shah describes Murmu’s election as “yet another victory for our democracy and our Constitution under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” The write-up elaborates a series of initiatives taken by the Modi Government to fulfil the aspirations and hopes of the tribals who constitute nearly 9 per cent of India’s population. He concludes by saying that socio-economic development and empowerment of the tribal society and their political representation have always been an integral part of BJP’s ideology and emphasises that Murmu’s election as the President is a “shining example of PM Modi’s resolute commitment to the empowerment of our tribal brothers and sisters.”
Mongolia, fundamental to India’s ‘Look East’ and now ‘Act East’ policy, is the focus country of the Globetrotting feature. Both the countries share dynamic political and cultural ties and in recent times, their relations have been seen as an extension of India’s broader neighbourhood policy, says our report. India, it says, has lot of opportunities to explore in the industrial sector of Mongolia, besides those in the domain of digital technology. A related box deals with various bilateral forums with particular emphasis on ‘Nomadic Elephant’, the joint India-Mongolia exercise that is held every year.
Over to you!
