Image Courtesy:jantakareporter.com
The IIT Bombay is earning flak for inviting anchors of Republic TV and Zee TV as expert speakers to its E-Summit 2022. The IT cell of the premier institute has been tweeting out the line up and the registration to the E-Summit for sometime now.
Next in Media & Entertainment Conclave at E-Summit 22, we have Mr. Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-chief of the Republic Media Network. Mr. Goswami is India’s leading TV anchor, who in 4 years has turned a startup into India’s leading news entity.
Register now: https://t.co/PIAD3ZCwe9 pic.twitter.com/pEXHDIH8p4
— E-Cell, IIT Bombay (@ecell_iitb) January 29, 2022
It will offer a place of honour at its Media & Entertainment Conclave at E-Summit 22, to Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-chief of the Republic Media Network. It hailed Goswami as “India’s leading TV anchor, who in 4 years has turned a startup into India’s leading news entity.” Sharing the stage with the controversial TV anchor is Sudhir Chaudhary is the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News who is hailed as the host of “the world’s most-watched prime-time news show- DNA on Zee News” by IIT’s e-cell.
Presenting the first speaker in Media Conclave, Mr. Sudhir Chaudhary. @sudhirchaudhary is the Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News and hosts the world’s most-watched prime-time news show- DNA on Zee News.
Register now at: https://t.co/PIAD3ZTzg9 pic.twitter.com/1SGwVoAwux
— E-Cell, IIT Bombay (@ecell_iitb) January 28, 2022
However, as the two men are known for a particular style of anchoring and ‘journalism’, IIT alumni have raised concerns about their inclusion at the event by their alma mater. They have written to the Director, IITB, as well as other officials including the E-cell coordinator that as alumni and well-wishers they are surprised that these men have been invited as guests, as they are “TV personalities who represent the very opposite of the inclusive spirit of our institution and that of our country.” The letter highlights how the channel led by “one of the invitees” allegedly “spread hate and misinformation, causing the society to be more polarized” and that “the other anchor stands accused in the TRP scam.”
The alumni write that the “list of such transgressions and misdemeanors is too long to be repeated” in the letter and urge the organisers of this event must ask themselves these questions:
- What role models will these personalities, who represent the forces of hate and bigotry, serve for our youth?
- What message is IIT Bombay conveying to the world, which respects it for being the leadership factory of the tech world? And to future employers of these students?
IIT Bombay has been facing online criticism as soon as it disclosed its invite to Arnab Goswami of Republic TV and Sudhir Chaudhary of Zee News.
????? @iitbombay https://t.co/Zf8jykvJeI
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 30, 2022
The alumni also ask that the organisers “reflect and rescind the invitations to these personalities” the letter has been signed by “Friends of IIT Bombay”, and alumni
Dr Venkatesh Sundaram, PhD (1986), Girish Bhave (1984), Chandru Chawla (1987), Praveen Gill (2002), and Nikhil Jaiswal (2020).
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