NEW DELHI:LalBahadurShastri Institute of Management conferred award to Dr. Prannoy Roy, Executive Co-founder & Executive Co-Chairperson, New Delhi Television (NDTV)for the prestigious LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI AWARD FOR EXCELLNCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT 2015. Justice V. N. Khare, Former Chief Justice of India, in VigyanBhawan, New Delhi, gave the award away.

The said award is given away every year to a highly accomplished public figure who has excelled in public administration and Dr. Prannoy Roy receives the award for his outstanding contribution in the field of TV/digital journalism in India.

The award carries a citation, a plaque and cash award of Rs.5 lakhs. Earlier recipients of this Award have beenDr. ApathukathaSivathanuPillai, Dr.RajendraAchyutBadwe, Mrs. Tessy Thomas, Prof. Yash Pal, Smt. Aruna Roy, Shri Sunil Bharti Mittal, Dr. E. Sreedharan, and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan,    Dr. NareshTrehan, Dr. C.P. Srivastava, MsEla R. Bhatt, Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, Mr. N.R. Narayana Murthy, Mr. Sam Pitroda and late Prof. C.K. Prahalad.

Giving his welcome address on the occasion, the convener of the Jury and Chairman of LBSIM, Anil Shastri stated that “in previous years the Award was given to eminent innovators in science and technology, social activism and entrepreneurship, but this year the Jury decided to give the Award to a prominent media person given the impact that media has on public life at large today. Not only Prannoy Roy’s name was chosen for his significant contribution to the TV and Digital Journalism, he was also considered worthy because he is able to set a high standard of onscreen conduct that is worth emulating for other media persons. Prannoy is professionally probing and aggressive, but never offensive; He always knows how to communicate disagreeable opinions in an agreeable manner. ”

Expressing his view while delivering the acceptance speech, Dr. Prannoy Roy said, “ Media has indeed become increasingly TRP driven and prone to serious aberrations. Media in India is living in a punishment free society. You have tough defamation laws. Implement them. Media has failed to regulate itself. My faith lies only in Judiciary in regulating media.”

Speaking further on 3 stages of control that the political executives exercised on media persons, Prannoy spoke of “(1) stage of control by exclusion in TV monopoly stage that existed 3 decades back, (2) Stage of direct threatening, and (3) Stage of putting bug under all the rug wherein  media is intimidated, beaten and jailed for performing their duties.”

Justice VN Khare, the former Chief Justice of India expressed his happiness to have come for the occasion and congratulated Prannoy Roy for receiving the Award.

A Jury consisting of 12 eminent members,listed below,made this selection out of a total of an of 110 nominations received from among prominent academicians, administrators and management experts, both from public and private sector.