Navneet Kumar Sehgal appointed as Prasar Bharati's new chairperson

Navneet Kumar Sehgal, a retired bureaucrat, has been appointed as the new chairman of Prasar Bharati, India's public service broadcaster, by the President following the recommendation of a selection committee, as mentioned in a Mint report.

Sehgal steps in for A Surya Prakash, whose tenure concluded in February 2020 due to reaching the upper age limit of 70 years for the position. The appointment came after a meeting chaired by vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar to appoint the new chairman of the nation's public broadcaster. As the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar led the selection panel entrusted with this decision.

The three-member panel included Dhankhar, Justice Ranjana Desai (retd), who serves as the chairperson of the Press Council of India, and Sanjay Jaju, the secretary of Information and Broadcasting.

On March 15, 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an order stating, "The President, on the recommendation of the Selection Committee, is pleased to appoint Shri Navneet Kumar Sehgal, IAS (retd) as the Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board with effect from the date of his assuming charge of the post for a term of three years or until he attains the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier."

Sehgal's appointment as the new chairman is anticipated to inject fresh leadership and direction into the organisation, which has experienced a prolonged period without a permanent head.