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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

Content Harming Our Kids

Any medium is a double-edged sword, and this is true for smartphones and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. As part of the Prabodhini Fellowship by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) in 2025, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 101 parents of children aged 10–15 in Vadodara, Gujarat. Ninety-five per cent expressed concern over the content their children access on OTT platforms. A controversial episode involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia highlighted ineffective content regulation. This event prompted the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to issue an advisory urging stricter age classifications and compliance with the IT Rules 2021.


OTT refers to internet-based apps and services like WhatsApp, Skype, and Instagram that operate independently of telecom providers. OTT media enables streaming of live, delayed, or recorded content. OCC includes on-demand web series and shows on OTT, outside of traditional censorship.


Fuelled by the Jio Revolution and the COVID-19 lockdown, India saw a meteoric rise in OTT consumption. As per KPMG, OTT subscribers in India are projected to hit 627 million in 2025, with the market reaching Rs 103.9 billion at a CAGR of 32%. With this comes responsibility. But shows like Mirzapur, Gandi Baat, and Narcos depict violence, explicit language, profanity, substance use, and adult themes that negatively influence children, desensitise them to aggression, induce fear or anxiety, encourage risky behaviour, normalise inappropriate language, and influence perceptions of relationships and lifestyles. Educational and informative series like Our Planet and Explained enhance knowledge, critical thinking, and awareness, and demonstrate OTT’s positive potential. Unfortunately, many platforms prioritise popularity over responsibility.


Legal framework

Currently, there’s no specific legislation for OCC. While the IT Act, 2000, offers a broad framework, and the IT Rules, 2021, introduce a self-regulatory code with a three-tier grievance mechanism, the model lacks enforceability. This ‘self-regulation’ without accountability risks turning into ‘no regulation’ because of the non-binding nature of self-regulation. Moreover, content regulation post-release acts as a post-mortem action after the harm is done. In a data-driven world, pre-emptive regulation is necessary.


Accessing pornographic sites is in demand and often defended under the right to privacy. However, the Uttarakhand High Court upheld the Government of India’s order to ban many porn sites, noting that such content can fuel violent sexual behaviour. Certain web series have a significant impact on young minds, with crime cases inspired by shows like Money Heist (Lucknow) and Bhaukal (Delhi).


Parental controls

Parental controls are features in apps, devices, and software that help parents restrict age-inappropriate content, monitor usage, and set screen time limits. These controls range from content filters to app blockers. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Zee5 offer such features. My findings were revealing.

• 78% of children watch OTT content for over an hour daily

• YouTube is the most accessed platform, followed by Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, and Prime Video

• Over 60% of children watch content unsupervised as parents are busy

• Many parents set filters, monitor viewing history, or watch content with children, but 10% have no strategy

• Only 50% of parents are aware of parental controls, increasing the risk

• Over 70% of parents regularly discuss OTT content with children, which is a positive step

• 78% don’t allow children to watch age-inappropriate web series, but worry about indirect exposure via reels

• 77.3% of parents demanded stronger laws to regulate OTT content


Measures and Concerns

Parents reported taking steps such as:

• Using parental controls (50.6%)

• Discussing content rules (56.3%)

• Enforcing viewing schedules (44.8%)

• Co-viewing content (41.4%)


Recommendations

• Uphold prevailing social morality standards

• Clear legal definitions of OTT, web series, and movies

• Conduct independent audits of OCC, impose penalties, and license cancellation for repeated violations

• Mandate annual user age declarations and enforce OTP-based access

• Promote physical and mental activities to reduce overreliance on digital entertainment

• Run digital literacy campaigns about safe digital habits, similar to ‘Good touch – Bad touch’

• Ensure that OTT platforms give responsible content

• Enforce age restrictions on social media to curb the rising ‘reel culture’

• Monitor foreign web content to prevent cultural dilution

• Ban inappropriate or suggestive thumbnails and clickbait content

• Mandate default controls on child profiles, aligning with global best practices


OTT platforms offer cultural and economic potential. The government has launched initiatives like OTT awards at the 54th International Film Festival of India. But, for OTT to contribute meaningfully to Viksit Bharat 2047, it must balance creative freedom with social accountability.


(The author is a research fellow at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Mumbai.)

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