Gitanjali Aiyar Passes Away At 71

Doordarshan news presenter Gitanjali Aiyer passed away on Wednesday. She was 71, and suffered brain haemorrhage on Wednesday afternoon.

Her career spanned over three decades, wherein she was also one of the first English news presenters in the country. Aiyer had auditioned for AIR in 1971 and joined their English news section. Right after that, she started working with DD. She pursued her bachelor’s degree in English, and a diploma program from National School of Drama (NSD).

Gitanjali Aiyer was facilitated with the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989. She also won the best anchor award four times. After her career as a prominent news presenter, she joined corporate communications, government liaison and marketing. She also appeared in the 1985 Doordarshan TV show Khandaan, and a number of print advertisements.

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Gitanjali Aiyer was, and still is an icon in the news industry, who changed the face of journalism in India. And her passing away feels personal.

Twitter mourns the passing away of the legendary news presenter.

Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Gitanjali Aiyar, one of the first and finest English news anchors on Doordarshan and All India Radio.

A trailblazer & pioneer, she brought credibility, professionalism, and a distinct voice to every news report, leaving an indelible… pic.twitter.com/MvaR7kgLmB
— Anurag Thakur (मोदी का परिवार) (@ianuragthakur) June 7, 2023

We fondly remember the days when Gitanjali Aiyar ji graced our TV screens, leaving an indelible mark on our news-watching experiences.

Saddened by her untimely demise, my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones. May she find eternal peace. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ayVeUu2yB6
— Netta D'Souza (@dnetta) June 7, 2023

A dear friend & TV News colleague Gitanjali Aiyar left for her heavenly abode. Am saddened & shocked as she seemed so everlasting & poised . These 2 pics taken 25 years apart – the bnw pic taken in the makeup room just before the News & at IIC about 3 years ago. RIP Gitanjali 🙏 pic.twitter.com/hANeuKj38P
— Sheila Chaman (@sheila_chaman) June 8, 2023

Famous Doordarshan news anchor Gitanjali Aiyar passes away. Now that we have commercial media houses & more than news they do theatrics & give views more then news from their air conditioned news Chambers, post commercial media era were really the era of good journalism when news… pic.twitter.com/lNTaCzGlkP
— Stanzin Gawa (@stanz107) June 7, 2023

Farewell, Gitanjali Aiyar 💔 pic.twitter.com/f4BukaU1vq
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 7, 2023

Gitanjali Aiyar was graceful, dignified and warm, especially to her children's friends. The news (and the times) were gentler, and she was such a bright presence on radio as well as television.

Deeply sorry to hear of her passing. Thinking of her family and legions of friends. https://t.co/dYmM6Nrnv9
— Nilanjana Roy 📚🦊 (@nilanjanaroy) June 7, 2023

She will always be remembered as a newsreader with impeccable English diction and pronunciation! #GitanjaliAiyar pic.twitter.com/RWE8tS3FB4
— Anu Sehgal 🇮🇳 (@anusehgal) June 7, 2023

Doordarshan newscaster of the 1980s Gitanjali Aiyar passed away this morning. Condolences to her family. pic.twitter.com/XmJSZeU4rx
— Lloyd Mathias (@LloydMathias) June 7, 2023

Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of Gitanjali Aiyar, a true gem in the world of news anchoring. Her remarkable talent and dedication made her an inspiration for aspiring journalists. My heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. May her soul rest in eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/TRO5HwncwX
— pawan malhotra🇮🇳 (@malhotrapawan69) June 7, 2023

May she rest in peace.

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