Dr. N. Bhaskar Rao
Dr. N. Bhaskar Rao
Awards Director CMS (Chair- Awards)A pioneer of social research in India and an eminent mass communication expert with 40 years of distinguished background, Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao is founder Chairman of well known independent Centre for Media Studies (CMS) and also founder chairman of prestigious market research and forecasting outfit, Marketing & Development Research Associates (MDRA). Earlier, he had built up ORG as its CEO. Dr.Rao is the author and proponent of Social Audit concept/approach to appraise public utilities/services along with two former chief justices of India -- Justice P N Bhagavati and Justice R.S. Pathak. Dr. Rao pioneered Role Model Awards at National level.
Dr. Bhaskara Rao is known to different people differently. Dr. Rao is an independent analyst, strategic advisor on public policies, public opinion, reforms process, mood of situations, media trends within and across. He is known as a pioneer in social research and monitoring & evaluation and rating methodologies. To some around the country he is Social Audit expert having been the Convenor of the first Social Audit Panel in the country (for the Ministry of Communication) and later the Ministry of Environment & Forests. For many aspiring students of professional education he is known as the prime mover of BREAD (Basic Research in Education & Development) which gives scholarships to poor-needy. As Coordinator of Vision 2020, Andhra Pradesh, he initiated the project. His studies on public opinion, customer satisfaction, broadcasting agencies, advertising trends, mass communication opportunities rural marketing are the benchmarks. He pioneered psephology based election studies in India. His recent studies on electronic media, telecom and electronic sectors have guided the respective Departments in formulating perspectives and strategies. Over the years he has been advocating synergies between computer, broadcasting and telecom technology policies. Dr. Rao has been consultant with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for more than two decades in different capacities and conducted family planning surveys and national level studies on IEC.
Dr. Rao was also an expert member of Governments high level committee to draft National Population Policy with Dr. M. S. Swaminathan and an expert member of the committee to reorganize media units of Information & Broadcasting Ministry under the chairmanship of late G. Parthsarthy. Earlier, he was also involved as a member of high level standing Advisory Committee of I&B Ministry. He was responsible for a draft of citizen initiated Broadcasting Bill (incorporating Prasar Bharati Act) for the country. He is considered an authority on media policies in India. He is an authority on media utilization strategies and communication policies. There is no major media group in India to which he was not an advisor / consultant one time or other in the last 25 years.