Mrinal Pande


Mrinal Pande is an Indian television personality, journalist and author, and until 2009 chief editor of Hindi daily Hindustan. She left Hindustan on 31 August 2009. She was appointed chairperson of Prasar Bharati, the official apex body of Indian broadcast media. This appointment commenced on 23 January 2010. She was replaced by Dr. A. Surya Prakash as chairperson of Prasar Bharati. She also hosts a weekly interview show Baaton Baaton Mein on Lok Sabha TV. She is the daughter of the Hindi novelist Shivani. Earlier she worked for Doordarshan and STAR News. She has also written a few short stories. She was the editor of the popular women's magazine Vama from 1984-87. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 2006.

Earlylife and education

Pande was born in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. She studied initially at Nainital and then completed her Master's degree from Allahabad University. Later on she studied English and Sanskrit literature, Ancient Indian History, Archeology, Classical Music and the Visual Arts at the Corcoran in Washington DC.

Career

Her first story was published in the Hindi weekly Dharmyug, at the age of 21. Since then she has been consistently writing, apart from working in media, both television and press.
She taught in the prestigious Maulana Azad College of Technology, Bhopal around 1979-80.
She spent several years on the National Commission for Self-Employed Women, inquiring into the conditions for rag-pickers, vegetable sellers and domestic help.

Works online