The chairman of samachar news agency when it was formed in 1976 was

(A) Kuldip Nayyar

(B) Inder Malhotra

(C) Mohammad Yunus

(D) Shamlal

Correct Ans: (C)

Explanation:

The Indian government formed the Samachar News Agency in 1976 by merging four major news agencies: Press Trust of India (PTI), United News of India (UNI), Hindustan Samachar, and Samachar Bharati. Authorities appointed Mohammad Yunus as the first chairman to lead this newly created news organization.

During the Emergency period (1975-77), the government aimed to bring all news under centralized control. Officials structured Samachar as a single national news agency, which replaced independent agencies that had operated before. As chairman, Mohammad Yunus played a crucial role in managing the transition and overseeing the agency’s functions.

The other options did not hold this position. Kuldip Nayyar (Option A) was a senior journalist and author known for his political reporting. Inder Malhotra (Option B) contributed extensively to political journalism but did not serve as chairman. Shamlal (Option D) was a well-known editor and columnist, but he did not head Samachar.

In conclusion, Mohammad Yunus served as the first chairman of Samachar in 1976, overseeing its operations during a politically sensitive period. However, after the Emergency ended in 1977, the government dissolved Samachar, allowing independent news agencies to resume operations.