NEW DELHI: Supriya Sahu has taken over as Director-General, almost exactly two years after the tenure of the last full-time DG ended.
Sahu, who has earlier served in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry as Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) took charge on 29 June, while the last full-time DG Tripurari Sharan had completed his term in July 2014.
Sahu and F Sheheryar had been selected as full-time Directors-General of Doordarshan and All India Radio respectively by the Prasar Bharati Board on 24 February 2016 and the names were recommended to the Ministry.
Thereafter, Sheheryar - who as Deputy Director General had been serving as interim DG since February 2014 – took charge as full time DG on 31 May this year.
DDG C Lalrosanga had been inducted in April last year as interim DG in Doordarshan and Aparna Vaish took over as interim DG after his term ended.
Sahu, whose term had ended in June 2014 in the I and B but had been on a three-month extension till October 2014 had sought leave for two months thereafter. She was at that time expected to join her home cadre in Tamil Nadu.
Sahu is also from the Tamil Nadu cadre of IAS 1991 batch. She joined the I and B Ministry as Director in July 2009 and was promoted Joint Secretary in October 2011.
This decision on 24 February 2014 was taken after the Prasar Bharati Board interviewed ten candidates for the two posts.
Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that there were six persons from the Indian Broadcasting (Programme) Service, three from the Indian Information Service, and one from the Indian Administrative Service.
The interviews were held in the backdrop of a decision by the Board earlier last year that the posts for full-time DGs would not be held until the composition of the Board would be complete.
With two part-time members being appointed, the strength of part-time members of the Board is now complete. The two members are Shashi Shekhar Vempathi, former Principal Architect of Infosys Technologies Ltd and now heading an online media company Niti Digital, and actor Kajol.
Under the Prasar Bharati Act, the pubcaster should have six-part time members on its Board, which is headed by its chairman.
Early last year, Chairman A Surya Prakash had told indiantelevision.com that he had made it clear to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry that there would be no full time appointments for the posts of the two Directors-General until the composition of the Board was completed.
