NEW DELHI / NEW YORK(TIP): Blitz India-“India’s first Weekly Chronicle of Development News”, as the publishers claim,  is expected to give a fillip to Development journalism. The Indian Panorama carried a brief news about the launch of the unique weekly in the February 18 edition, with a note that the detailed story on the launch will be published in the February 25 edition. Here we are then,  bringing to the readers the story of the inauguration of Blitz India.

In his opening remarks, Blitz India Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Deepak Dwivedi rued the loss of credibility of the present-day media and explained why it’s time now for course correction. He promised that with its sustained coverage to ideas, policies, and activities that lead to improvement in the life of people, Blitz India will be a catalyst in the nation-building efforts. In the process, he said, it will also attempt to restore the lost credibility of the media.

India Story needs tobe spread, says Kant

The following is the gist of a special message delivered by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog:

It gives me great pleasure to be at the launch event of Blitz India, a weekly newspaper with development news as its focus area. It’s a laudable initiative and I extend my best wishes for its success.

India has seen phenomenal transformation across a wide spectrum of areas during the last few years. The country’s growth in the areas of infrastructure, healthcare, science, technology, digitalization and clean energy is the success story of massive proportions. We have surely come a long way in all the key areas of human development but we know that this is work in progress.

Media has a critical role to play in not only spreading the India’s Story around the world but strengthening it in every possible way. I’m happy that Blitz India has shouldered this responsibility and I am hopeful that will remain true absolutely true to its tagline, which is ‘building a new nation’.

A new genre of journalism

I think it’s a great occasion today that Blitz is being brought back to life after a very long interval and I would like to congratulate and compliment Mr Deepak and his team for having so committedly looked at this whole revival. I’m also very excited as I heard from him and I saw some notes about the kind of journalism that is about to be launched.

So far, journalism was all about finding faults and picking holes. Well, they should; it’s always good to keep the governments on their toes and on the alert. But we also need the kind of journalism that talks about the good things that the governments do.

With the kind of mandate that Mr. Dwivedi has given to Blitz India, I’m absolutely certain that it is a new genre of journalism that’s on the anvil and I’m sure that it will change the landscape in many ways. Mr Dwivedi, to you and your team, I extend my heartiest compliments and my warm greetings to everyone who is associated with you!

Spotlight on SDGs

As UNICEF representative, I’m very pleased to hear that Blitz India will be spotlighting the issues of Sustainable Development Goals, putting them on the forefront. I congratulate you for this excellent initiative.

Rotary plays key role in nation building

As we celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the 75 years of Independence of our wonderful country India, I’m so happy that Blitz India is coming out with its inaugural issue and Rotary is an integral part of it.

Over the years, Rotary has played its important role in building our nation. It has worked hand in hand with the Government as a responsible unit of the civil society. For 75 years, Rotary, has worked in different areas whether it is health, education, empowering people, environment or literacy. But our biggest program has been polio eradication. In India polio got eradicated in the year 2011 and Rotary played its share in it. This was our contribution in saving the lives of children of India and thus helping to give our share in the nation-building process.

A path-breakingInitiative

I would like to congratulate the entire team of Blitz India for coming out with a weekly newspaper devoted exclusively to development journalism. It’s a path-breaking initiative and I’m confident that all stakeholders of an emerging New India will support it wholeheartedly. .

I have been a close follower of India’s journey since Independence and am proud to say that it has been a wonderful journey and can relate closely with my 34 years journey in the Indian Police Service.

India today is a power to reckon with and its development story is being applauded across the world. I’m sure that Blitz India will become a catalyst in disseminating and strengthening the India Story.

Creating platformfor new ideas

Congratulations, Deepak jee! It’s most appropriate that on the occasion of Basant Panchami, you have thought of this extremely important initiative to be launched.

I think we require a very different kind of journalism now and with this beginning, probably we would create platform for the new ideas on economic development thinking that for last couple of years we are witnessing in this country.

We required new platforms to be generated to respond to the opportunities and the new challenges of our analytical capabilities that journalism requires and from that point of view I think revival of Blitz and its focus on development is something definitely deserves huge applause and appreciation.

Playing the role ofa public educator

It is my distinct privilege to be able to felicitate the entire team of Blitz on this very special occasion. Having worked closely with the media across the world, and particularly intimately while posted at Headquarters, I fully appreciate the critical role played by the ‘Fourth Estate’. A vibrant and independent media, discussing issues is the hallmark of a thriving democracy.

I salute the clear desire expressed by Blitz to focus on constructive journalism, chronicling the ideas and programs that have moved the country forward. In this manner, they are well placed to play the role of media as a public educator.