Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh Wins ABU Engineering Excellence Award 2026
Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh, Director of Engineering at Akashvani Imphal under Prasar Bharati, has won the prestigious ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026. Conferred by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union during its 63rd General Assembly in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the honour recognises his pioneering development of indigenous, low-cost broadcast software including DDPlayout and DDSlowMo.
What happened
Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh, serving as the Director of Engineering at Akashvani Imphal, Prasar Bharati, was conferred the prestigious ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026 by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). The presentation took place during the ABU Technical Committee meeting at the 63rd ABU General Assembly and Associated Meetings held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The formal award presentation was scheduled for the main assembly proceedings between 30 October and 3 November 2026.
The award was received on behalf of Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh by Mihir Kumar Jha, Under Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The international honour commends Singh's exceptional contribution to broadcast technology, indigenous innovation, low-cost broadcast automation, and resource-efficient engineering solutions designed specifically for public service broadcasting.
Among Singh's most prominent technical contributions are two proprietary, low-cost broadcast software solutions: DDPlayout and DDSlowMo. DDPlayout is an indigenously developed automated playout application deployed across numerous Doordarshan Kendras to manage daily broadcasts smoothly. DDSlowMo is a cost-effective, high-precision slow-motion replay system that has been deployed in national-level sporting events. Additionally, Singh has engineered remote transmitter monitoring utilities, Virtual News Automation software, a slow-motion replay tool integrated with a dedicated hardware controller, and streamlined live-streaming workflows for the public broadcaster.
A native of Sagolband Salam Leikai in Imphal West, Manipur, Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh holds an engineering degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur. He was selected for the Indian Engineering Services (IES) in 1998. Alongside his official broadcasting contributions, he has also developed Android mobile applications based on traditional Manipuri board games to preserve regional indigenous heritage. His prior honours include the Padmavati Ganeshan Award from the Broadcast Engineering Society (BES), India in 2013, and the Dr. Vassumal Hazarimal Merani Award in 2026 for digital broadcast technology innovation.
Important dates
| 63rd ABU General Assembly Session in Colombo | 30 October to 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| ABU Technical Committee Presentation Date | 30 October 2026 |
| Formal Award Prize Ceremony | 1 November 2026 |
📌 Static GK links
- Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU): An international, non-profit professional association of broadcasting organisations established in 1964, currently comprising around 224 members across 66 countries.
- Prasar Bharati: India's statutory autonomous public service broadcaster, established under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990. It encompasses Doordarshan (television) and Akashvani / All India Radio (radio).
- Broadcast Engineering Society (BES), India: A premier professional society promoting the advancement of broadcast engineering in India, which previously conferred the Padmavati Ganeshan Award on Singh in 2013.
- Theme of 63rd ABU Assembly: 'Media for Peace and Humanity: Truth, Trust and Transformation'.
What candidates should do
- Note the names of the awardee, his native state (Manipur), and the specific indigenous technologies (DDPlayout, DDSlowMo) for one-liner current affairs questions.
- Revise the host city and country of the 63rd ABU General Assembly (Colombo, Sri Lanka) as international summits and assemblies are frequently tested in banking and SSC exams.
- Review institutional details regarding Prasar Bharati and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) for Static GK questions.
PrepZen analysis
The conferment of the ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026 highlights the growing international recognition for cost-effective, indigenous technological innovations emerging from India's public broadcasting sector. Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh's systems, specifically DDPlayout and DDSlowMo, reflect a shift towards self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in broadcast automation, replacing expensive foreign commercial software across Doordarshan kendras.
For competitive exam aspirants (Banking, SSC, State PSC, and UPSC), this news item intersects multiple high-yield areas: international awards, science and technology applications, and international organizations. Questions are most commonly framed around the recipient's name, his parent organization (Prasar Bharati / Akashvani), the host city of the 63rd ABU General Assembly (Colombo), or the specific tools developed (DDPlayout, DDSlowMo).
Practice questions
Q1. Who among the following was conferred the ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026 at the 63rd ABU General Assembly?
Q2. Where was the 63rd General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) held in 2026?
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the indigenous broadcast innovations developed by Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh:
1. DDPlayout is an automated playout software adopted across Doordarshan Kendras.
2. DDSlowMo is a cost-effective slow-motion replay system used in sports broadcasting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Award: ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026.
Award for: contribution to broadcast technology and innovation.
Developed indigenous solutions like DDPlayout and DDSlowMo.
Award presented at 63rd ABU General Assembly in Colombo.
🎯 Key Point: Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh won ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award.
FAQs
What is the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)?
The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is an international non-profit professional association of broadcasting organisations, encompassing around 224 members across 66 countries.
For which innovations did Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh win the ABU Award 2026?
He was recognized for outstanding contributions to broadcast technology and low-cost automation, including the indigenous development of DDPlayout (playout automation) and DDSlowMo (slow-motion replay system).
What was the theme of the 63rd ABU General Assembly in Colombo?
The theme of the 63rd ABU General Assembly was 'Media for Peace and Humanity: Truth, Trust and Transformation'.
Which earlier national honours has Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh received?
He received the Padmavati Ganeshan Award from the Broadcast Engineering Society (BES), India, in 2013 and the Dr. Vassumal Hazarimal Merani Award in 2026 for digital broadcast technology innovation.
Sources and references
- newsonair.gov.in (newsonair.gov.in) Official
- newsonair.gov.in (newsonair.gov.in) Official
- ddnews.gov.in (ddnews.gov.in) Official
- indiatodayne.in (www.indiatodayne.in)
Prepared by PrepZen for exam preparation. Consult the linked sources for original announcements and current details. Corrections policy. Spotted an error? Write to prepzen.app@gmail.com.
Practice Quiz — 31 October 2026
Q1. Who has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) on October 31, 2026?
Q2. Who has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JioBlackRock Broking?
Q3. Who chairs the newly constituted High Level Committee on Banking for Viksit Bharat 2047?
Q4. The Berkap-Reiju Festival, a traditional cultural festival, is celebrated by which community in Manipur?
Q5. Which month has been declared as "Grievance Resolution Month" by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)?
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