Featured BiographyImage source: StarsUnfolded
Quick Info
Date of birth26 February 1946
Age77 Years (as of 2023)
BirthplaceTikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh
ProfessionWriter, Journalist
NationalityIndian
Marital statusMarried
SpouseArvind Pande
FamilyTwo daughters (one Rohini Pande, one oncologist)
Mrinal Pande Biography
Mrinal Pande is an Indian journalist, writer and broadcaster whose long career in Hindi journalism and public broadcasting has included editorial posts at
Early life and backgroundMrinal Pande was born on 26 February 1946 in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. She grew up in a family that moved frequently because of her father’s work, spending time in places such as Allahabad and Nainital before the family settled in Lucknow. Her mother, Gaura Shivani Pant (who wrote under the pen name Shivani), was a noted Hindi writer.
Pande attended school in Nainital and went on to study at Allahabad University, where she completed a Master of Arts in the 1960s. From an early age she showed aptitude for literature and languages; during her school and college years she excelled in English and Sanskrit literature and took part in debating, singing and dancing. She began helping with her mother’s Hindi compositions as a teenager and published her first story in the Hindi weekly Dharmyug at the age of 21.
Career
Mrinal Pande’s professional life spans academia, print journalism, television and public broadcasting. Early in her career she taught English literature at the University of Allahabad and at the College of Jesus and Mary, Delhi University. She also taught courses in the history of art and architecture while at Maulana Azad College of Technology in Bhopal.
Her editorial career in Hindi journalism included leading roles at publications owned by two major Indian newspaper groups. She was editor of Vama, a Hindi magazine from The Times of India Group, between 1984 and 1987. Later she edited Saptahik Hindustan, a Hindi weekly from The Hindustan Times Group, serving there from 1988 until 1992. In 2001 she became the chief editor of Hindustan, the Hindi daily of The Hindustan Times Group, and was the first woman to hold that post; she remained with Hindustan through 2009. She left Saptahik Hindustan on 31 August 2009.
Pande played a prominent role in supporting women journalists and the wider concerns of self-employed women. She was a founder-president of the Indian Women’s Press Corps, serving two terms from 1990 to 1994 and later from 2001 to 2002. She also served on the National Commission for Self-Employed Women, working on socioeconomic issues affecting groups such as rag-pickers, vegetable sellers and domestic workers.
In February 2010 Pande was appointed chairperson of Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcasting agency, and she held that position until April 2014.
Television work
Mrinal Pande began anchoring in 1996, working on Star News and Doordarshan. From 1999 to 2001 she served as a senior editorial advisor for news and current affairs programs on a television channel. She later hosted the weekly interview show Baaton Baaton Mein on Lok Sabha TV.
Writing and books
Alongside her journalism and broadcasting, Pande has been an active writer. Her body of work includes fiction and non-fiction that engage with social and cultural themes; titles mentioned in her published record include The Subject Is Woman (1991), Daughter’s Daughter (1993), That Which Ram Hath Ordained (1994), Devi: Tales of the Goddess in Our Time (1996), and My Own Witness (2000). She has also written about classical music in nineteenth- and twentieth-century India and the role of women singers.
Awards and recognition
In recognition of her contributions to journalism and Hindi literature, Mrinal Pande was awarded the Padma Shri on 29 March 2006. She also received the RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Public profile
Pande has been a visible public figure who has spoken and written about faith, politics and culture. She identifies as Hindu and has described herself as a liberal who opposes violence and hypocrisy in the name of religion. Her public statements and social media activity have at times attracted criticism.
Family and personal life
Mrinal Pande married Arvind Pande in 1967. Her husband is a Cambridge graduate who entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1965, later worked with the Steel Authority of India Limited and retired in 2002. The couple have two daughters, including Rohini Pande, an economist who has served as Director of the Economic Growth Center at Yale University, and another daughter who is an oncologist. Pande’s father, Shuk Deo Pant, was a chemistry teacher; her mother, Gaura Shivani Pant, received a Padma Shri in 1982. She has several siblings, including a brother Muktesh Pant and sisters Veena Joshi and Ira Pande, as well as a step-sister named Binu.
Latest updates
From 2010 to 2014 Pande led Prasar Bharati. After decades in print and broadcast media she continues to be known for her editorial work, writing and appearances on television. Her public interventions and commentary on cultural and political matters remain part of her public profile.
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Recent Work
Head of India’s public broadcasting agency from February 2010 to April 2014.
2010-2014First woman to serve as chief editor of Hindustan, serving from 2001 to 2009.
2001-2009Weekly interview show on Lok Sabha TV.
Career Highlights
- Published first story in Dharmyug at age 21
- Editor of Vama (1984–1987) and Saptahik Hindustan (1988–1992)
- First woman chief editor of Hindustan (2001–2009)
- Founder-president of the Indian Women’s Press Corps (1990–1994; 2001–2002)
- Chairperson of Prasar Bharati (2010–2014)
- Recipient of the Padma Shri (2006)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Mrinal Pande born?
Mrinal Pande was born on 26 February 1946.
What is Mrinal Pande known for?
Mrinal Pande is known for writer, Journalist.
What is Mrinal Pande’s marital status?
Mrinal Pande's marital status is listed as Married.
Who is Mrinal Pande married to?
Mrinal Pande is publicly listed as married to Arvind Pande.
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