Rohit Sardana

Rohit Sardana (22 September 1979 – 30 April 2021) was an Indian anchor, journalist, and editor. He had hosted Taal Thok Ke, a debate programme of Zee News before leaving for Aaj Tak in 2017, where he anchored the prime time show Dangal.

Rohit Sardana
Born(1979-09-22)22 September 1979
Kurukshetra, Haryana, India
Died30 April 2021(2021-04-30) (aged 41)
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Occupations
Years active2000–2021
Employer(s)Zee News
Aaj Tak
Known forDangal on Aaj Tak
Taal Thok ke on Zee News
Spouse
Pramila Dixit
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
AwardsGanesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar (2018)

Early life and education

Sardana had a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. From 2000 to 2002, Sardana completed his academic work to earn a post-graduate degree in mass communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology.[1]

Career

From March 2002 to July 2003, Sardana worked as a copy-editor. As a trainee copy-editor, Sardana was exposed to the technicalities of anchoring, copywriting, editing, production, and post-production work. Along with learning these skills, Sardana studied the functioning of a 24-hour news channel. Sardana worked as an assistant producer at Sahara Samay from 2003 to 2004.[2]

Since 2004, Sardana worked at Zee News in the capacity of an executive editor, anchor, news presenter and host for the network's Hindi language programmes. He was a senior anchor at Aaj Tak. Sardana formerly worked with the ETV Network and Akashvani.[3] Sardana also produced Karmakshetra, where MPs were assessed and "report card" was created by Sardana on the work of the MPs for their respective constituency in advance of the 2014 Indian general elections.[2]

He hosted a show called Dangal (translation: Arena) on Aaj Tak which featured debate panels.[4] The show has been compared to Radio Rwanda and he was criticised for demonizing Muslims, encouraging jingoism and strengthening the Hindu-Muslim dichotomy through his show.[5][6][7][8][9] Sardana was considered to be a part of the pro-government media establishment in India and has also been criticised for subservience towards Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.[10][11][12][13]

In 2018, he was awarded the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar award by the Government of India.[14]

Death

Sardana died of a heart attack after testing positive for COVID-19 at a private hospital in New Delhi.[15] President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi,[16] Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia,[17] Rajasthan's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot,[18] Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh among many expressed their condolences on his death.[19]

References
  1. Deepak, Vishwa (18 March 2016). "A Former Zee News Producer Reveals Why He Left Over The Network's Coverage Of JNU". Caravan Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2021. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  2. Bhati, Divya (2 May 2021). "RIP Aaj Tak TV Journalist Rohit Sardana passed away due to Heart Attack after suffering from Covid-19". jagrantv. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  3. "Biography of Rohit Sardana". Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  4. "Looking back, 2019: The highs and lows of Indian journalism". Newslaundry. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. Sik, Zainab; er (13 April 2020). "Indian media is waging a holy war against Muslims. It acts like hyenas". ThePrint. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  6. Pandya, Parth (17 June 2019). "The India-Pakistan Cricket Rivalry Is Dead. The Hype Needs to Die Too". The Wire. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  7. Team, N. L. (29 January 2018). "Rohit Sardana aka walking-talking Radio Rwanda does it again". Newslaundry. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  8. Sidharth, Arjun (30 January 2018). "One tale, two narratives: Aaj Tak's reportage on Kasganj violence". Alt News. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  9. Chaudhuri, Pooja (18 October 2020). "Aaj Tak Blames Congress Bihar Polls Candidate For Jinnah Portrait Hanging at AMU Since 1938". The Wire. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  10. "India's pro-government media aka GODI media". Nepal Press. 9 January 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  11. Shabbir, Muhammad Tahir (21 November 2020). "'Big success for Modi Sarkar': How news channels aired unverified news on India's 'pinpoint strikes' in PoK". Newslaundry. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  12. Chaudhuri, Pooja (16 June 2020). "Indian journalists quote Chinese casualties based on unverified source". Alt News. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  13. Sinha, Prateek (1 September 2020). "India Today Group, Times Now air old images of PLA cemetery as graves of Chinese killed in Galwan". Alt News. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  14. तिवारी, अटल (22 April 2018). "रोहित सरदाना को गणेश शंकर विद्यार्थी पुरस्कार देने वालों की बुद्धि पर तरस खाया जा सकता है". The Wire - Hindi. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  15. "Well-Known TV News Anchor Rohit Sardana Passes Away After Heart Attack; Had Contracted Coronavirus". ABP News. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  16. "PM condoles death of Rohit Sardana". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  17. "TV journalist Rohit Sardana passes away". Press Trust of India. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  18. "नहीं रहा 'दंगल' का उस्ताद 'न्यूजमैन' रोहित सरदाना, दिग्गजों ने दी श्रद्धांजलि". PoliTalks News (in Hindi). 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  19. "Tributes pour in for Aaj Tak anchor Rohit Sardana". India Today. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
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