NEW DELHI: DD Bharati?s flagship talk show, Meri Baat, has completed 100 episodes with its popularity still growing among the students and the youth, claims the channel.

The hour long interactive talk show airs Wednesday through Sunday at 6 pm. The show discusses a wide spectrum of events related with children?s and young persons' lives.

Students and parents participating in the programme interact with the panelists comprising eminent persons, including educationists and psychologists. The show is currently anchored by Tanvi Gogia and is a joint production of DD Bharati and the Delhi Public School Society. Over the period five definite segments have evolved. They are:

Nai Dishayen Nai Manzilein  This is an academic guidance programme targeting higher education and career counseling for school students.

Aamne Saamne is a public debate on issues concerning young persons lives with feasible meaningful solutions.

Meri Baat Sabki Baat aims at forming a general opinion on current affairs which affect the youth.

Baatein Padhai Ki is an academic helpline for students, where experience subject experts answer queries.

Finally Baaton Baaton Mein is an interactive session for developing life skills, value education, parenting and handling behavioural difficulties.

The last 100 episodes have featured over 400 panelists and over 1000 students and teachers participating. The phone ins now come from all corners of the country through a dedicated toll free line, claims DD. Moves are afoot to broadbase the participation of schools by including more and more cities. Speaking on the initiative DG DD Dr. S.Y.Quraishi said, We want to make Meri Baat a forum for children, not only of public schools and convents, but also for the students of government schools, Navodaya Vidyalayas etc. Our endeavor is to involve children from all walks of life. Including those who are not receiving any formal education.

The concept of Meri Baat emerged when the national broadcaster held a brainstorming session with the representatives of schools, for creating meaningful software for children. Doordarshan offered DD Bharati as a platform and Delhi Public School society developed the creative inputs in consultation with the DD Programme personnel. The production is done in house. 

Meri Baat claims to have been successful in striking a right chord with the student community. Its popularity has grown many folds and the President of India, Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam has evinced interest in participating in the programme at a future date. 

However, the flip side is that the penetration and/or viewerrship of DD Bharati is so pathetic that such good programmes may also go unwatched.