PM’s stimulus package address records highest viewership since COVID-19 pandemic

PM’s stimulus package address records highest viewership since COVID-19 pandemic

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 20 lakh crore economic package address this week was viewed by 193 million people, garnering the highest viewing minutes among his five messages to the nation since the COVID-19 pandemic began, BARC said on Thursday, May 14.

Overall TV viewership continued to decline in the week to May 8, and giving away gains made in the lockdown period, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) said.

The nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, has increased TV watching in India as people are cooped up inside their homes.

Among genres, news and movies grew the most, but the launch of Hindu mythology-based content like Ramayan pushed the viewership of the general entertainment channels which were struggling for fresh content because of no new productions.

Modi’s 33-minute address, which focused on developing a self-reliant India, was watched by 193 million, which is lower than the previous address that garnered 203 million viewers.

“However, going by viewing minutes, the number was at 4.3 billion minutes, the highest among all the five addresses by Modi,” it said.

“A total of 197 channels carried the address, a shade lower than the last speech’s 199 channels,” the body said.

Meanwhile, on the overall viewership front, the TV audiences consumed lesser content this week at 1.10 trillion viewing minutes, as against 1.14 trillion minutes in the week-ago period.

However, the 1.10 trillion viewing minute figure is higher by 24 percent compared to the pre-lockdown period, the body said.

As an effect of no new programming, the prime time viewership declined by 7 percent as compared to the pre-lockdown period, it said.

Public broadcaster Doordarshan, which had catapulted to the top spot among the general entertainment channels courtesy its mythological content, ceded the position to Dangal this week as some of its serials came to an end.

“This had a direct impact on advertising, with the air time carrying commercials down 9 percent from the week-ago period,” the body said.

In the past, experts have blamed a lack of consumption during the lockdowns as being hurtful for advertising, one of the major revenue streams for the industry.

“There was also a 7 percent drop in the number of advertisers at 1,331 for the reporting week, as compared to the previous one,” BARC said.

Data on smartphone usage collected by marketer AC Nielsen said there was 14 percent increase in mobile usage and 18 percent jump in data consumption during the week.

PM applauds nurses for role in fight against COVID-19

PM applauds nurses for role in fight against COVID-19

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday applauded nurses for their role in keeping people healthy, saying the country is grateful to them for their “great work” in the fight against novel coronavirus.

“International Day of the Nurse is a special day to express gratitude to the phenomenal nurses working round the clock to keep our planet healthy. Presently, they are doing great work towards defeating COVID-19,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

“We are extremely grateful to the nurses and their families,” he said.

“Inspired by Florence Nightingale, the hardworking nursing staff personify abundant compassion,” Modi said.

“Today, we also reiterate our commitment to keep working for the welfare of nurses and devote greater attention to opportunities in this field so that there is no shortage of caregivers,” he said.

According to the World Health Organization, the International Day of the Nurse is observed on the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing. This year marks her 200th birth anniversary.

National Technology Day: PM hails those at forefront of research to defeat COVID-19

National Technology Day: PM hails those at forefront of research to defeat COVID-19

New Delhi: On the National Technology Day on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed all those at the forefront of research and innovation to defeat coronavirus and remembered the “exceptional achievement” of the country’s scientists in carrying out the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests.

The National Technology Day marks the anniversary of the underground nuclear tests conducted in Rajasthan’s Pokhran.

On this day in 1998, India successfully conducted first of its five nuclear tests under the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“On National Technology Day, our nation salutes all those who are leveraging technology to bring a positive difference in the lives of others. We remember the exceptional achievement of our scientists on this day in 1998. It was a landmark moment in India’s history,” Modi said in a series of tweets.

“The tests in Pokhran in 1998 also showed the difference a strong political leadership can make,” he said.

The prime minister said, “Today, technology is helping many in the efforts to make the world free from COVID-19. I salute all those at the forefront of research and innovation on ways to defeat coronavirus.”

Modi said he hoped that the humankind will keep harnessing technology to create a healthier and better planet.

Kedarnath temple open; first puja performed on behalf of PM

Kedarnath temple open; first puja performed on behalf of PM

Dehradun: The portals of the Kedarnath temple were opened on Wednesday, April 29 with the first puja performed on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and only members of the shrine’s committee and administrative officials attending it amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

The doors of the eleventh jyotirlinga at Kedarnath in the Garhwal Himalayas were opened at 6.10 am. The temple was decorated in a grand way with 10 quintals of flowers, temple committee officials said.

The portals of the four famous Himalayan shrines  Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are opened every year between April and May after a six-month closure during which they remain completely snowbound.

The Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines were opened on April 26 on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya. The Badrinath shrine will open on May 15.

“The first ‘rudrabhishek’ was performed on behalf of Prime Minister Modi,” a Kedarnath temple committee official said.

The pujas were performed by Shivshankar Ling in the absence of the chief priest, Bhimashankar Ling, who is in 14 days of quarantine.

Only priests of the temple and officials of the temple committee and administration were present during the puja. Due to the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, pilgrims are not being allowed to visit the temple, an official said.

The portals of the temple have been opened so that priests can offer prayers regularly.

PM says RBI measures will enhance liquidity

PM says RBI measures will enhance liquidity

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the announcements made by the Reserve Bank of India will greatly enhance liquidity and improve credit supply.

“These steps would help our small businesses, MSMEs, farmers and the poor. It will also help all states by increasing WMA limits,” he said on Twitter.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has announced new measures to maintain adequate liquidity in the system, facilitate bank credit flow and ease financial stress.

The Bank cut the reverse repo rate and announced a slew of measures including re-finance window of Rs 50,000 crore and targeted long term repo auction of a similar amount to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.