¨     Doordarshan News Reader Sarla Maheshwari passed away at the age of 71.

¨     On February 12, 2026, former Doordarshan news reader Sarla Maheshwari passed away in Delhi.
¨     She was widely recognised as one of the most prominent faces of television news during the 1980s and 1990s.
¨     A distinguished career spanning nearly three decades was served by her at Doordarshan from 1976 to 2005.
¨     She also worked as a news reader with the BBC from 1984 to 1986 in UK.
¨     She rejoined Doordarshan in 1988 upon returning to India after the birth of her son.
¨     She was one of the first news anchors to read live news on Indian television.
¨     She witnessed and contributed to the transition of television news from black-and-white to colour broadcasting.