Election Expert GOI’s New Chief Spokesman
Meet Rajesh Malhotra, one of the most humble and professional bureaucrats this writer has come across in the tribe of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which is responsible for articulating the Union Government’s voice, policies and schemes to the common man through media across the country daily. A 1989 batch Indian Information Service (IIS) Officer, Malhotra has assumed the charge as Principal Director General, PIB. He is now the Government of India’s Chief Spokesman.The Press Association of India, one of the oldest body of journalists’ accrediated to the PIB, organized a high tea function on Thursday to honour Malhotra for his top job. “For my career and reaching this position, I owe it to my journalist friends who in a most professional manner covered the Ministries and organizations whose media coverage I was looking after,” said Malhotra. “You and I are part of one family,” he added. A business management expert, Malhotra was associated with the Election Commission for 21 years.
A Messiah During the Pandemic
Those journalists who have interacted with Malhotra over the years, and, even his fellow-IIS colleagues, say that he had always gone an extra mile to help them. A Press Association office-bearer told the audience that during Covid-19 pandemic, Malhotra helped the families of a large number of those media persons who had either died or were in financial trouble to get them monetary assistance from the Union government’s journalists’ welfare scheme. “Malhotra sahib went out of his way to get additional funds released though the financial year was nearing an end,” he said.During the critical Covid-19 pandemic, Malhotra effectively steered the media and communication policy in the Ministry of Finance in sync with the various AtmaNirbhar Bharat packages announced by the Central government over time to give relief to people and maintain economic balance.
Worked with 12 Chief Election Commissioners
Malhotra was associated with Election Commission of India as in-charge of media and communication for 21 years (1996-2017), thereby planning and implementing media and communication strategies during the six General Elections to the Lok Sabha, along with several State Assembly polls and elections for the President and Vice-President of India, conducted by the Election Commission. During this tenure, Malhotra has worked closely with 12 Chief Election Commissioners. Malhotra holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from IMT, Ghaziabad, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Media Laws from NALSAR, Hyderabad.
UP Officer Dismissed For Displaying Laden’s Photo
A sub-divisional officer in Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has been dismissed from service for allegedly displaying a picture of late Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in his office. UPPCL chairman M. Devraj ordered the termination of Ravindra Prakash Gautam after a recommendation to this effect was made following an inquiry which found that Gautam used to call the slain Al-Qaeda chief “My Idol” and put up a picture of him in his office. Gautam used to idolise bin Laden as he had an engineering degree. Considering Osama bin Laden as “the best engineer” and displaying a late terrorist chief photo in office were signs of extreme indiscipline, and despite being a public servant, he has done an anti-national act, the department order said.
J’khand Woman sells Her New-Born Baby
A newly born baby boy was allegedly sold by the baby’s mother soon after his birth in Jharkhand’s Chatra district.Eleven people have been arrested, including Asha Devi, the baby’s mother. After receiving the information about the baby’s“sale”, Deputy Commissioner Abu Imran swung the police into action. The baby was rescued from Bokaro district within 24 hours.The police seized Rs.one lakh from Asha Devi. Her arrest led to the other people, who were involved in the baby’s purchase deal. A couple from Badkagaon village in Hazaribag district had struck a deal with two brokers of Chatra and Bokaro for the new-born for Rs 4.5 lakh. While Rs one lakh was given to the baby’s mother, Rs 3.5 lakh were shared among the brokers.
AIR Kurseong To Be Nepali Broadcast Hub
Raju Bista (37), BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, is quite excited. He has been passionately working for the cause of Nepali language ever since he got elected in 2019; his constituency has a big population of people from Nepali-speaking Gorkha community. For his recent achievement, Bista in the Lok Sabha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur for the move to upgrade All India Radio Kurseong as a hub of Nepali content and broadcast in the country.