Renowned Doordarshan anchor Gitanjali Aiyar passes away
NEW DELHI: Gitanjali Aiyar, one of India's first English female news presenters on national broadcaster Doordarshan, passed away on Wednesday. She was in her mid 70s.
The award-winning anchor, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease, collapsed after returning home from a walk, sources close to the family said.
"She had Parkinson's disease and was on medication. She collapsed after returning home from a walk," said a close friend of Aiyar.
Graduated from Kolkata's Loreto College, Aiyar joined Doordarshan in 1971 and was awarded the best anchor four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989.
Besides presenting news programmes, Aiyar, a diploma holder from the National School of Drama (NSD), had also been a popular face in several print advertisements and even acted in Sridhar Kshirsagar's TV drama "Khandaan".
In her decades-long illustrious career, she was also associated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Several noted personalities took to Twitter to condole the demise of the eminent personality.
"We fondly remember the days when Gitanjali Aiyar ji graced our TV screens, leaving an indelible mark on our news-watching experiences. Saddened by her untimely demise, my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones. May she find eternal peace," tweeted Congress leader Netta D'Souza.
"Gitanjali Aiyar, India's one of the best tv newsreaders, warm and elegant person and woman of immense substance passed away today. Deepest condolences to her family," tweeted journalist Sheela Bhatt.
Aiyar is survived by a son and daughter Pallavi Aiyar, who is also an award-winning journalist.
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7% of Indians use narcotics, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah, vows to fight menace
New Delhi, Jan 12: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace and drones continue to pose a challenge for the country and these have to be checked by the joint efforts of law enforcement agencies.
Chairing a regional conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' here, Shah also asserted that the country will not allow even a single kg of drugs to be smuggled in or out of the country.
He said the government has not only been successful in eliminating many networks of drugs, but the terrorism linked with them too was also destroyed.
He said many cases of narco-terrorism were busted in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh and these were major achievements.
"The use of dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace, drones continue to pose a challenge for us even today," he said.
Shah said a technical solution to these problems have to be found through joint efforts by the states and the central government and technocrats for the country's security and development.
All agencies should strengthen the resolve for a drug-free India by stopping drug smuggling through the dark web, cryptocurrency and drones, he said.
Observing that seven per cent people in India use drugs illegally, he said the fight against drugs has gained a new strength under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"In the last 10 years, there has been a seven-fold increase in the seizure of drugs, which is a major achievement. The Modi government has given a strong message of destroying the entire ecosystem of drugs through strict action," he said.
The home minister said that in 2024, by seizing drugs worth Rs 16,914 crore, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and police across the country took the biggest action against drugs, which is a significant step in making a drug-free society.
"No country can move forward on the path of development with a young generation suffering from drug addiction. It is our responsibility that we all fight this challenge together and make all efforts to win this battle," he said.
Shah said that during 2004-14, a total of 3.63 lakh kg of drugs were seized while during 2014-24, altogether 24 lakh kg of drugs were seized - a seven-fold increase as compared to the previous decade.
He said drugs worth Rs 8,150 crore were disposed of in 2004-14 but in 2014-24, drugs worth Rs 54,851 crore were destroyed - eight times more than the previous decade.
The conference, organised by the NCB, aims to address the growing concern of drug trafficking and its impact on national security, with a special focus on eight states and Union Territories of northern India.
Shah also launched the drug disposal fortnight starting from Saturday to January 25.
He said that during this period, one lakh kg of narcotics worth Rs 8,600 crore will be destroyed.
Shah stressed the importance of timely policies, enhanced intensity, meticulous micro-planning, and consistent monitoring to address the challenges ahead.
He said the Modi government has worked at a rapid pace to destroy drugs, uncover the networks, and bring the entire ecosystem under the grip of the law.
The home minister said for the success of the drugs-free India campaign, technical solutions to these challenges must be found by the law enforcement agencies, state governments, and the youth involved in this field; only then this fight could be result-oriented.
He urged all states to destroy illegal clandestine labs with rigour and take legal action against them with a ruthless approach.
Shah said the Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against the drug supply chain, a strategic approach for demand reduction, and a humane approach for the victims.
He emphasised the need to strategically and cautiously expand the use of legal provisions for asset confiscation.
The home minister stressed the importance of devising district-level strategies and establishing mechanisms to escalate cases systematically, which would enhance the effectiveness of the campaign.
He also highlighted the central government's efforts to develop an anti-drone system, urging the police forces of all border states to support this initiative by organising hackathons and actively contributing to advancements in this area.
"The time has come now when we can all contribute to this fight and succeed in winning it," he said.
The conference is being attended by governors, lieutenant governors, chief ministers and senior officers from the eight participating states and UTs and the Centre.
