Journalist Alka Jain has announced that she has taken a new position as senior sub-editor at Outlook. She will be based in Delhi.  Jain confirmed to Influencing India that she will lead the team at Outlook Business, covering startups, the economy, policy, and corporate.   She began her career as a content writer intern at DU Refresh News, DU Insights and CollegeDekho before joining Republic World as a trainee news writer.   She joined ANI as a sub-editor in 2021 and then moved to her most recent position as a content producer at Live Mint.  Jain can be reached at alka.jain@outlookindia.com.  

President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought a significant Indian-American influence to his administration, with several key positions in Trump 2.0 being filled by individuals of Indian origin or those with pro-India leanings. The appointments reflect a deliberate move to deepen US-India ties while aligning with Trump's broader geopolitical strategies. Indian-origin appointees in Trump’s cabinet include Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur known for his libertarian views. He and Elon Musk have been appointed to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Ramaswamy's expertise in innovation and governance makes him a pivotal figure in shaping Trump's streamlined government model. Kash Patel, a staunch Trump loyalist with a robust defence and intelligence background, is likely to take a major role, potentially as FBI Director or within the National Security Council, according to News18’s Oindrila Mukherjee. His expertise undersc

Prasar Bharati has indefinitely extended the deadline for sourcing feature films and program proposals for its soon-to-be-launched OTT. The pubcaster invited applications from rights owner companies, partnership firms, proprietary firms and producers to source feature films and program proposals on license fee/royalty for its digital and linear platforms. Prasar Bharati is sourcing 50 feature films as per the requirement for the launch of the OTT platform and a weekly drop until the end of the current financial year. According to its official release, the last date for submitting both applications was October 20. In its recent release, Prasar Bharati stated, “In partial modification of Notice for Inviting Feature Film Proposals (NIFFP) for sourcing of already produced Feature Films on License Fee/Royalty by Prasar Bharati for its Digital and Linear platforms dated 24 September 2024, Last date for application is extended indefinitely until further orders or opening a permanent wi

Nominations are now open for the Australian Cyber Awards 2025, an event that celebrates the top professionals and organisations advancing the cybersecurity field in Australia.  Presented by Cyber Daily, the awards will mark their third year with a black-tie gala on April 29, 2025, at Ilumina in Sydney, bringing together leaders in the cybersecurity industry. The awards recognise excellence across the sector, from government and defence to retail, technology, and critical infrastructure. Categories include "CISO of the Year," "Cyber Security Rising Star," "Female Cyber Security Leader of the Year," and "Indigenous Cyber Security Leader of the Year." Reflecting on the awards’ focus, organisers explained that the program aims to highlight the people and organisations shaping the cyber supply chain rather than focusing solely on products and platforms.  This year’s event provides a chance for the cybersecurity community to gain national recognition for their contributions to p

Pramila Krishnan, Assistant Editor at The Federal, brings a heartfelt connection to rural journalism. Inspired by her grandfather’s newspaper routine and her father's political interests, Pramila chose journalism to amplify voices from her village. Known for her powerful coverage of the 2018 Thoothukudi police firing while at BBC, she is now focused on digital storytelling for young audiences, blending social, political, and economic narratives for Instagram and YouTube. With a deep commitment to 'voicing the voiceless,' she sees AI as a tool for citizen journalism while urging caution against misinformation. 1) How did you get started in journalism?    I grew up seeing my grandfather read the newspaper every day. It was part of his daily routine. Initially, it helped me read Tamil fluently. Somehow, I felt I couldn't read anything about my village in the paper. Whatever I read was all about metros, and I very rarely saw news reports and photos of my village. Since my father

Imposing a pan-India ban on instant ‘bulldozer justice’, Supreme Court Wednesday said demolition of a citizen’s house merely because he is an accused or a convict, that too without following the due process as prescribed by law, will be “totally unconstitutional”. While the judgement needs to be lauded for putting an end to the barbaric approach adopted by authorities to intimidate alleged criminals or those on the wrong side of the law, Opposition, as well as victims’ associations, have claimed that the apex court could have stepped in earlier and prevented the demolition of hundreds of homes illegally in UP and MP, both ruled by the BJP and alliance partners. The apex laid down a lengthy process for razing illegal structures and ruled that a state can’t breach a family’s right to shelter by demolishing their house because a member is accused of a heinous crime, reported Amit Anand Choudhary and Dhananjay Mahapatra for The Times of India. A bench of Justices B R

Yoni Bashan of The Australian has been awarded the 2024 Sir Keith Murdoch Journalist of the Year at News Corp Australia's 20th annual News Awards.  The prestigious honour was presented by News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch, recognising Bashan’s exceptional reporting on the October 7 attacks in Israel, according to a media release from the organisation. Murdoch praised Bashan for his determination, recounting how Bashan immediately sought to report from Israel, arriving on the ground by October 10—becoming the first Australian journalist to visit Gaza after the attacks. "He did not shy from danger—he ran toward it, bearing witness to trauma and demonstrating the courage and impartiality that true journalism demands," Murdoch said. The Sir Keith Murdoch Journalist of the Year award honours exceptional journalism, leadership, courage, and a commitment to truth. Named after Sir Keith Murdoch, the founder of News and grandfather of Lachlan Murdoch, the award this year celebrates Ba