Barkha Dutt (News Anchor) Wiki, Age, Husband, Education, Net Worth Controversies

Barkha Dutt is a renowned Indian journalist and author who has made a significant contribution to the field of broadcast journalism. She has worked as a reporter and news anchor for leading Indian news channels such as NDTV and Tiranga TV.

Apart from her work in television journalism, Dutt has also established herself as a prominent opinion columnist with leading publications such as The Hindustan Times and The Washington Post. 

If you are also a fan of Barkha Dutt and want to know more about her then you have come to the right place, we are going to discuss Barkha Dutt Biography, we will be talking about her career, her personal, and professional life, and many other aspects of her life. So, keep reading this article till the end to know more about Barkha Dutt.

Barkha Dutt Wiki

Barkha Dutt was born on 18th December 1971 (Age: 52 years), she is the most famous female journalist/News Presenter in India. In her extensive career spanning over three decades, Dutt has carved a niche for herself as a fearless journalist who is committed to bringing the truth to light. She was born in New Delhi and completed her education in Delhi and started her journey in journalism in Delhi. 

After her coverage of the Kargil Conflict in 1999, which involved direct reporting from the frontlines, she gained prominence and recognition as a notable figure in the field of journalism. She has become a prominent figure in the journalism circle. She loves to read books and travel whenever she gets time.

Biography

Barkha Dutt Education, Qualification

Barkha Dutt completed her education at Modern School, New Delhi, and then pursued her higher studies. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English literature from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and later acquired a Master’s degree in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamia Mass Communication Research Center in New Delhi.

She also holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York. She was able to attend this prestigious institution through an Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship.

Relationship Status (Husband, Affairs)

Barkha Dutt till now has been married twice, her first husband’s name was Mr. Mir, and within six months of their marriage, they decided to part ways and apply for a divorce. Then Barkha Dutt went on to marry the second time, her second husband’s name was Dr. Haseeb Drabu, this marriage also didn’t last, as they both got a divorce.

Currently, Barkha Dutt is single and is living the best days of her life doing what she does best and that is reporting the news to the people of the nation.

Barkha Dutt Family, Siblings

Barkha Dutt comes from a Brahmin family. Her father’s name is S.P. Dutt, he worked for Air India. Barkha Dutt’s her mother’s name is Prabha Dutt, She was a renowned journalist associated with the Hindustan Times.

Barkha’s sister’s name is Bahar Dutt, she is also a well-known journalist who currently serves as the Environmental Editor for CNN IBN. Barkha Dutt’s father died of Coronavirus in April of 2021.

Barkha Dutt Height, Weight (Physical Appearance)

Career

Barkha Dutt started her journalism career at NDTV after completing college at the age of 21. She covered various important stories of national importance and rose to head the English news wing of the organization. Barkha gained popularity in India when she reported the Kargil conflict in 1999, including an interview with Captain Vikram Batra. She covered conflicts in Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Barkha Dutt became famous for breaking the rules of the Press Council of India while reporting on the 2002 Gujarat violence. She referred to the attackers and victims of the riot by their religions “Hindus” and “Muslims” on TV. In 2008, during the Mumbai attacks, she was accused of making the situation worse by sensationalizing the events on live TV and revealing the possible location of hotel guests, which put them in danger and caused some deaths.

Barkha Dutt began hosting her own talk show, “We The People,” in 2001, which ran for 16 years. After 21 years with NDTV, she chose to depart in January 2017 to pursue other opportunities. Later in 2019, she became a part of Tiranga TV, a channel owned by Harvest TV and by Kapil Sibal. She now hosts a prime-time program called “Democracy Live.”

Even though Barkha has accomplished many achievements in her career, she has also been subjected to negative feedback. Some have accused her of having “secular shrillness,” of betraying the Kashmiri Pandits’ cause, of having overly nationalist coverage of the Kargil conflict, and of being too lenient on Hindutva. Additionally, she was involved in the Radia tapes controversy.

Barkha’s professional journey has been distinguished by her genuine, dedicated, and audacious personality. She extensively reported on the challenges faced by migrant laborers throughout Northern India during the COVID-19 Migration Crisis.

Barkha Dutt New Venture

After leaving NDTV and Tiranga TV, Brakha Dutt went out to create her own new news venture namely Mojo Story, a multi-media content and event company. She is also a columnist at Washington Post. She also hosts “We the Women”.

Barkha Dutt Books

Barkha Dutt Net Worth and Salary

Barkha Dutt’s Net Worth is around $609K.

Social Profiles (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)

Instagram	@barkha.dutt
Twitter	@BDUTT
Facebook	@BarkhaDutt
LinkedIn	@barkha-dutt-538b7110

Barkha Dutt Awards and Achievements

Controversies

Barkhs Dutt can be deemed as one of the most controversial journalists in the media industry, her no-nonsense and bold way of journalism has brought her criticism at every step of her way, here are few of Brakha Dutt’s controversies.

Kargil War Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt drew significant attention during the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan, which was the first “live” war in India. The media was striving to gain higher TRP and provide comprehensive coverage of the conflict. However, Barkha Dutt’s coverage became controversial due to the revelation of sensitive information during the “secret” Tiger Hill operation.

Without any hesitation, Barkha Dutt disclosed critical information on national television by concluding her live commentary with the words “Barkha Dutt reporting from 56 Brigade HQ.”

Barkha Dutt was the sole journalist who carried a satellite phone while reporting from the conflict zone. However, the army officers avoid using them in conflict zones as it reveals their positions to the enemy.

The Army chief, In his book, “MASHKOH: KARGIL AS I SAW IT,” the then Army Chief, General Malik, highlighted how Barkha Dutt had disclosed classified information during her live coverage, which posed a threat to the secrecy of the operations.

According to Brigadier Umesh Singh Bawa, who led the 17 Jat, some journalists, including Barkha Dutt, had allegedly disclosed the Indian army’s position to Pakistan by sending live reports via cell phone, resulting in immediate counter-bombardment.

Barkha Dutt Sacked

After the sudden closure of the English news channel Tiranga TV in July 2019, Barkha Dutt filed a case against Analog Media Private Limited, Kapil Sibal, and his wife Promila Sibal, seeking over Rs 74 lakh compensation with interest. Dutt claimed that she was promised that the channel would operate for at least two years and asked to terminate her contracts with other platforms before the channel’s launch. She demanded compensation for pending salary, remuneration for additional work, and breach of contract, with a notice issued against the company and Promila, but not Kapil Sibal.

According to her legal claim, Barkha Dutt alleged that she was promised Tiranga TV would remain operational for a minimum of two years and was advised to terminate her contracts with other platforms in anticipation of the launch. She is pursuing compensation for her unpaid salary, additional compensation for additional work, and damages for breaching the contract. Although a notice was served on Promila and the company, Kapil Sibal was not named in the claim.

Barkha Dutt and Arnab

The feud between Arnab Goswami and Barkha Dutt began with the airing of a documentary by NDTV about the Nirbhaya rape case. Arnab questioned the need to give a platform to the rapist and this angered Barkha. Later, Arnab aired a show on Times Now about pseudo-seculars and their support from certain sections of the media and intelligentsia.

Barkha responded by calling him a chamcha of the Modi government and accused him of being biased. The tension continued to escalate until Arnab’s new venture Republic was launched, and he made it clear that there was no place for Barkha in his channel.

Barkha Dutt Gujarat Violence 2002

Barkha Dutt was criticized for ignoring the Press Council of India’s recommendations when she referred to the participants and casualties of a riot during her coverage of the 2002 Gujarat unrest as “Hindus” and “Muslims” on television. Some of her work has been subject to criticism due to this.

2010 Radia tapes controversy

In November 2010, a major controversy arose when transcripts of phone conversations between influential individuals such as senior journalists, politicians, and corporates were leaked by magazines OPEN and Outlook. These conversations involved Nira Radia, who had allegedly been trying to negotiate deals related to the 2G spectrum sale. During this scandal, NDTV journalist Barkha Dutt’s conversations with Radia were exposed, putting her at the center of the controversy.

The Central Bureau of Investigation stated that they had obtained 5,851 recordings of Radia’s phone conversations. In response, Dutt appeared on a televised program on NDTV to address the accusations and defend herself before a panel of her peers. Although she admitted that it was an “error of judgement,” she denied any wrongdoing. Despite this, magazine editor Hartosh Singh Bal noted that the close relationship between NDTV, Tehelka, and the Congress party was widely known, and Dutt’s involvement in the Radia Tapes seemed to be a symptom of a systemic issue rather than an individual mistake.

Barkha Dutt and 26/11 Terror Attack

Barkha Dutt’s coverage during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks came under severe criticism for her reporting style and how it could have potentially endangered the lives of civilians and security personnel. The Supreme Court of India also acknowledged the role of media in compounding the severity of the attacks and slammed their irresponsible coverage.

The media coverage was also blamed for revealing crucial information about the locations and movements of the security forces, which could have been exploited by the terrorists.

Many experts and analysts believe that the media’s coverage during the 26/11 attacks was a classic example of “breaking news” culture, where sensationalism takes priority over journalistic ethics and responsibility. The incident raised questions about the media’s accountability and the need for proper training and guidelines for journalists covering sensitive events like terrorist attacks.

Barkha Dutt’s response to the criticism was mixed. While she admitted that the media made mistakes during the coverage, she also defended her reporting and blamed the lack of information and communication from the government and security agencies. She also sent a legal notice to a blogger who questioned her journalistic ethics, which was also criticized by many as an attempt to suppress dissent and criticism.

Barkha Dutt in Movies

• Preity Zinta played the role of a female journalist reporting on the 1999 Kargil Conflict in the 2004 movie Lakshya.
• The 2006 Malayalam film Keerthi Chakra had a journalist character inspired by Dutt. The protagonist portrayed by Mohanlal shows anger towards the journalist for taking pictures in a sensitive area of war. It was shown in a prior scene that the journalist’s use of flash photography led to the death of a soldier.
• The film Firaaq, released in 2008, depicts a television audience member responding to Dutt’s commentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots by saying, “All of them [news reporters who speak English] tell falsehoods…where were they when the Hindus were being massacred?”
• In the 2011 movie, No One Killed Jessica, Rani Mukerji plays a news reporter who first appears reporting on the 1999 Kargil Conflict, a role modeled after Dutt.
• Ashwini Kalsekar’s portrayal of a TV journalist in the 2014 film Singham Returns is said to have been inspired by Dutt.
• Anand Kurian’s novel The Peddler of Soaps features a protagonist modeled after Dutt.

Unknown Facts about Barkha Dutt

• Her coverage of the 1999 Kargil War, which included an interview with Captain Vikram Batra, earned her widespread recognition and popularity.
• She received the Padma Shri award in 2008 from the Manmohan Singh Government for her coverage of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami.
• Barkha identifies herself as an agnostic and does not follow any religious beliefs.
• She was twice recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the “Global Leaders of Tomorrow” in 2001 and 2008.
• In 2005, she was selected as one of 50 Indians under the age of 35 for her achievements and contributions to society.
• In 2010, Barkha Dutt was designated as a member of India’s National Integration Council.
• She was appointed as an Asia Society Fellow in 2006 and serves on the International Advisory Council of the Asia Society.

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