Jawhar Sircar

Jawhar Sircar (22 March 1952) is a public intellectual based out of Kolkata, who utilises his life-long experience in public administration to help activists stand up for human rights and multiculturalism — both of which are under severe strain in India at present. He takes a proactive role in conserving tangible and intangible heritage and in protesting against encroachments on the constitutionally mandated democratic framework. He is thus constantly contending against opposition from right-wing political and governmental forces.

Sircar is currently the chairman of the board of governors of the prestigious Centre for Studies in Social Sciences[4][5], Kolkata, a premier research and teaching institute set up in 1973. He has been on the governing bodies and trusts of numerous national-level cultural institution of India, including the National Library and the National Archives. and also associates with several universities and academic bodies.

Jawhar Sircar was a successful Indian civil servant [6] with 42 years experience, and last served as Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati( Doordarshan & All India Radio) [7][8][9][10] of Prasar Bharati[11][12][13][14] (Doordarshan[15][16][17][18] & All India Radio[19][20][21][22]).

Before this, he was Secretary of the Ministry of Culture,[23] Government of India from late 2008 to February 2012, where he reported directly to the Prime Minister for most of his tenure.[24] He resigned, to take over his current position, for which he was chosen by an eminent panel led by the Vice President of India and Supreme Court Judge. As Culture[25] Secretary, he initiated long-pending reforms and took up the modernization of museums, archives, and libraries for which he was awarded the British Museum Medal.[26]

As CEO,Prasar Bharati,[27] he supervised India's public service broadcaster, which is among the largest such networks in the world and cover well over a billion people, through 483 stations of All India Radio[28] (AIR) & Doordarshan [29][30](TV). As a large orthodox organization of government servants, it is difficult to modernize, but Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence.[31] He has received three Awards for this in three years. He has been elected as Vice President of the world's largest Public TV and Radio organization,[32] the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union,[33] on which 67 nations are represented.[34]

He has been active in research even while working full-time in administration. He has published numerous articles on cultural,[35][36] historical[37] and anthropological subjects for several years. He has published research papers on the subjects of history,[38][39] culture,[40][41] media[42] & society.[43][44]

He has also delivered talks on the subjects of history,[45][46][47][48] culture[49][50][51][52] and media.[53][54][55] His monograph: The Construction of the Hindu Identity in Medieval Western Bengal: The Role of Popular Cults was well received in India and abroad.

His writings are both available in Bangla[56][57][58][59][60][61] as well as English newspapers.[62]

While Signing an MoU with Chinese Counterpart as Hon'ble PM Narendra Modi looks on

Jawhar Sircar studied at St. Xavier's School, Presidency College and Calcutta University - all in Kolkata. He did his Masters in Ancient Indian History and Culture from Calcutta University and a second Masters in Sociology, with Social Anthropology. He graduated in Political Science from Presidency College, standing 2nd in Calcutta University. He also studied at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sussex in the UK. [63]

Jawhar Sircar with Veteran Actress Sharmila Tagore

After joining the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1975[64] in West Bengal (India), he held several postings in the districts of Burdwan and 24 Parganas where he made a name for himself in tackling very difficult problems including communal riots. After this, he moved on to become the Secretary in the Finance Department looking after Expenditure.,[65] he was appointed Sales Tax Commissioner of West Bengal where he could secure the highest rate of growth in the 1990s.

In May, 2006, Sircar was called to the Government of India in New Delhi, on promotion as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), a term that he helped introduce through a new Act of Parliament. He is known as the pioneer of 'Cluster Development', as well as for grass-roots financing of tiny industries, including Micro Finance and also for initiating several reforms in the sector. [66]

In September 2008,[67] he was elevated as Secretary to Government of India, and moved on to head the Ministry of Culture,[68] where he served as its longest-serving Secretary till early 2012.He initiated long-pending reforms and took up the modernization of museums, archives, and libraries. He is credited with introducing many new programmes to assist cultural organizations and their expressions. Jawhar Sircar was successful in forging a significant number of cultural partnerships between India and other countries,[69] and among his major credits are the Anish Kapoor exhibition from the UK and the holding of seven unique overseas[70] exhibitions of the original paintings of Rabindra Nath Tagore which had not left India shores for more than 80 years.

He also had two short stints as acting Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.[71]

Sircar has worked in the fields of Finance, Commerce[72] and Industries for 17 of his 38 years in public service, where he has managed large corporations, including the multibillion-dollar Haldia Petrochemicals.

On the other hand, he has also worked in the field of public communication: i.e., in Education, Culture and Media[73] related assignments, for over 11 years.

Jawhar Sircar was a Member of the Governing Councils of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA),[74] Consortium for Educational Communication,[75] Film & Television Institute of India[76] and also Trustee/GB Member of IIM (India Institute of Management), Kolkata,[77] Victoria Memorial Museum, Indian Museum, National Museum, National Library, National School of Drama, IGNCA, the Three National Akademies,etc.

He has also served on the National Advisory Council of Spic Macay.,[78] and was nominated on the National Executive Council of CII. He had also been on the Board of Governors of Media Research Users Council (MRUC), Mumbai, which does research/surveys for readership, viewership and listenership of various media for advertising.[79] He had been on the Advisory Board of CEMPD, Kolkata ( Centre for Environmental Management and Participatory Development.[80] Sircar has also been a Trustee Member of PSBT[81] (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) from 2012 to 2016.

Jawhar Sircar was Vice President of the All India Tennis Association,[82] and served as the President of India's pioneering Children's Little Theatre. Sircar has also been a Trustee Member of PSBT[83] (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) from 2012 to 2016.

He is a Life Member of the 240-year-old Asiatic Society, Indian National Confederation and Academy of Anthropologists,[84][85] & Cultural Heritage, Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, Indian History Congress and several other well-known institutions.

He was the moving spirit behind the Kolkata[86] International Film Festival from 1997 to 2005, and has organized several film and media related programmes, with participation of many countries.

Sircar[87] was instrumental in the management of world's largest Book Fair, in terms of attendance, i.e., the Kolkata Book Fair in its early years.

Jawhar Sircar with Honorable Minister of Human Resource Development Mr. Prakash Javadekar

• Best CEO Award in 2013(Two years after joining PB)[88]
• Maulana Jameel Ilyasi Excellency Award – August, 2013[89]
• News Television Network CEO of the Year ENBA 2013 Award[90]
• Corporate Broadcaster of the Year, Award by Calcutta Management Association[91]
• In 2015 Digital Studio Broadcasting & Production Magazine had placed him among the 10 most important people in the broadcasting industry.[92]

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