The resumption of India's Budget Session in Parliament was anything but routine, as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 became the epicentre of a heated confrontation between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The discord not only disrupted parliamentary proceedings but also underscored the deep-seated tensions surrounding educational reforms and federal relations in India. Hot off the Press The Lok Sabha witnessed tumultuous scenes when DMK MPs vociferously opposed remarks made by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Subodh Ghildiyal & Pradeep Thakur for the Times of India claimed that the minister accused the Tamil Nadu government of reneging on its commitment to implement the NEP, labelling the administration as "dishonest" and alleging that it was "ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students" for political gains. Pradhan further described the DMK's actions as "undemocratic" and "uncivilised," intensifying the uproar

Boomtown, the industry collective advocating for nearly 10 million regional Australians, has welcomed Network 10 as its newest member, Mumbrella reported.  The move comes after Network 10 acquired regional TV licenses from SCA, expanding its presence across Queensland, southern NSW and Victoria in key markets like Cairns, Townsville, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga and Bendigo. Boomtown independent chairman Brian Gallagher said the addition of Network 10 reinforces the collective’s push for increased national media investment in regional markets.  “Network 10 shares our vision to drive national media budgets toward regional Australia. While we’ve grown regional advertising’s share to 17.6 per cent—rising about 5 per cent per year since 2019—there’s still work to do. Having a major media player like Paramount onboard strengthens our mission to ensure advertisers do not overlook regional Australians.” Nick Bower, General Manager of Ad Sales at Paramount Australia, echoed

For The Australian’s Technology Editor Jared Lynch, deciding what story to write comes down to finding out the “X-Factor” of a particular piece.  Lynch joined Influencing Insider last Thursday and said, “we're in this game where we are competing for attention. We're competing for eyeballs. So, a story pitch should have that pop; otherwise, it gets missed. “For example, the other day, I chatted with this lovely couple up in Noosa, who, after being made redundant in their advertising jobs, taught themselves how to code and develop this AI platform tailored specifically for the creative advertising industry. In two/three years, it’s created a business value of more than $20 million.” “It’s those wow stories I’m particularly interested in.” Lynch has been Technology Editor at the national paper since October 2023, having been a journo at the masthead for almost four years before then. He believes his role is to “make tech storytelling as accessible as possibl

Are Media - whose publications include Elle Australia and marie claire, has today announced the appointment of Anna Quinn as Director of Sales. She starts the new role on March 17.  Reporting to Are Media'sChief Executive Officer, Jane Huxley, Quinn will be responsible for advertising sales, creative and commercial strategy, affiliate sales, and operations for the country’s largest women’s media business. She will also join Are Media’s executive leadership team.    Quinn brings 25 years of expertise across client, agency, and media sectors. She has held senior leadership roles at market-leading companies including Nine Entertainment Co., WPP Australia, MAXMEDIALAB, Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics, and ACP Magazines/Bauer Media.    During her six years at Nine she held a number of senior leadership roles, including General Manager of Nine Powered where she was involved in the development of the company's total media commercial strategy. She was instrumental in developin

Zee News has recorded a 76 per cent surge in market share, increasing from 5.4 per cent to 9.5 per cent, according to BARC data (HSM—All 15+ Yrs—06:00 - 24:00, Week 14’24 and Week 8’25), without relying on landing pages or marketing spends, according to an Adgully report. The channel’s prime-time band, from 7 pm to 9 pm, has shown strong performance, driven by audience-centric content, data-driven programming, and tailored storytelling for urban and rural viewers. Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, stated, “At Zee News, journalistic responsibility is at the core of everything we do. Our success is not just about numbers—it’s about the impact of credible and well-researched news content. ” Karan Abhishek Singh, CEO of Zee Media Corporation Limited, added, “This growth reflects the evolving preferences of Indian viewers, who are choosing credible and meaningful journalism over noise. ” Flagship shows such as Baat Pate Ki (7-8 pm) and Desh Hit (8-9 pm) h

Tgthr. has executed India’s first full-day 100 per cent Share of Voice (SOV) takeover on CNN-News18 to unveil Ultraviolette Automotive’s latest electric scooter. Rahul Vengalil, CEO and co-founder of Tgthr., stated, “As a young agency committed to pushing the boundaries of advertising, campaigns like these reinforce our belief that there is still a long way to go for advertising. This achievement is not just about scale but about demonstrating the power of bold ideas and strategic media innovation. We are just getting started.” Smriti Mehra, CEO of English & Business News at Network18, added, “This campaign demonstrates our commitment to delivering impactful and immersive brand experiences. The collaboration showcases the power of strategic media innovation, setting a new benchmark for advertising in the news genre. We are committed to fostering such one-of-a-kind partnerships and pushing the boundaries of innovation.” The campaign secured 100 per cent SOV across

As a teenager, Rupa Jha, CEO and Co-Founder of Collective Newsroom, intended to be a lawyer though her heart was in dancing and in training to become a professional dancer. "And I did become one. I performed across the country and internationally with my guru and wanted to dedicate myself to the performing arts," she told Influencing India. But, as fate would have it, all that changed when she chanced upon a job opening announcement by the BBC and decided to apply.  Despite having no professional qualification required for the job, she applied and got shortlisted. "Luckily BBC does not look for a degree in journalism. If you’re keen about your surroundings, a good learner and observer, you're good enough to be a journalist. And I landed the job," she recalled. Beginning her stint at the BBC as a Hindi producer for BBC News in 2001, Rupa was with the organisation for over two decades working in various capacities in India, UK and Nigeria. In 2023, she and a few of h