The Tripura government has expanded support for journalists by increasing the monthly pension under the Tripura Journalist Honour Pension Scheme from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 and introducing a Rs 5,000 family pension for the eligible kin of deceased journalists. The guidelines for both schemes were revised in 2025 to improve their implementation. Five more retired journalists have recently been added to the scheme, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 13. Two additional families have also been brought under the family pension scheme, raising the total number of beneficiaries to seven. The government has also provided financial assistance for medical treatment to four journalists through the Journalist Welfare Fund. Welcoming the initiative, Agartala Press Club Vice President Chitra Roy said, "The increase in the welfare pension is a positive and helpful step. However, it should not be limited to only a few senior or well-recognised journalists. Many small and local journa

"Science and space are shaping the future, and I find it rewarding to make these subjects understandable and meaningful for everyone." For journalist Dr Anubha Jain, that philosophy has guided more than two decades of reporting across science, technology, health and space. At a time when artificial intelligence, climate change, biotechnology and space exploration are increasingly shaping everyday life, she believes journalism has a responsibility not just to report scientific breakthroughs, but to explain why they matter. In an episode of Influencing Insider, Dr Jain reflected on her career, the evolution of journalism and the growing responsibility of reporters in an era shaped by rapid technological change and misinformation. Among the defining moments of her career was covering India's landmark space missions, Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, experiences that brought her face-to-face with the scientists behind the country's achievements. "It was a goosebumps moment," she said. "N

BARC India has suspended the publication of weekly television ratings after being directed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to withhold data until it receives approval under the new TV Ratings Policy 2026.  In an advisory to subscribers, BARC said no ratings data would be released with immediate effect, including the scheduled 11 am publication on Thursday.  The move comes despite BARC applying within the revised compliance timeline and preparing to implement the policy's landing-page exclusion framework. However, the rollout was stalled after the Kerala High Court stayed the relevant provision in May.  Industry executives have raised concerns that the suspension could push the television sector into another data-dark phase, affecting advertising, media planning.  

Thursday, 2 July 2026 #1  ·  Times Nation  ·  In-depth feature 100 days on, less than 1% of Bengal SIR cases have been disposed By Debashis Konar, Srishti Lakhotia   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page 6 West Bengal's 19 Special Investigation of Rolls (SIR) tribunals have disposed of only around 30,000 of 33 lakh pending appeals in 100 days since becoming operational — less than 1%. At the current pace, clearing the backlog would take over 25 years. The report also details resignations by senior judges, the absence of online tracking infrastructure, and the cascading human consequences including a young Agniveer aspirant temporarily denied police clearance due to SIR deletions. The story combines hard data, institutional accountability, and a concrete human-impact case (the Agniveer aspirant) to illustrate systemic failure across judiciary, state administration and Election Commission — a

The Journalists' Development Union of Tripura (JDUT) has condemned remarks allegedly made by Tripura BJP IT Cell In-Charge Chandan Debnath against the state's media, after he reportedly referred to journalists as "Jan-Shatru" (enemy of the people). The remarks have triggered outrage among journalists across the state, with JDUT demanding a public apology and warning of a democratic protest if Debnath fails to comply. The controversy stems from the Tripura government's recent decision to bar senior doctors from private practice. On Tuesday, the resulting rush of patients to GBP Hospital and Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) led to overcrowding, straining the hospitals' limited infrastructure, a situation several news organisations covered. Speaking to Influencing, JDUT Secretary Raju Bhowmik said, "Following the decision to prohibit private practice by senior doctors, patients who earlier visited them at private clinics were seen flocking to government hospitals, leading to

Vashi Integrated Solutions has appointed Pitchfork Partners Strategic Consulting as its strategic communications partner.  The mandate includes corporate communications, media engagement, and brand visibility initiatives aimed at strengthening Vashi's market presence and supporting its next phase of growth. The partnership will focus on building a stronger corporate narrative around the company's scale, innovation, and long-term vision.

Omnicom Media Group has won Adidas' global media mandate, valued at an estimated $512 million, ending WPP's eight-year association with the account.  According to sources, the mandate covers full-funnel media planning and buying, consumer insights, and measurement across global markets. According to reports, the business will be led by PHD within Omnicom Media Group.  The win comes as Adidas increases its marketing investments ahead of major events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026. Neither Adidas nor Omnicom has officially commented on the appointment.