Rashtra Deepika
 | |
| Type | Evening Daily |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Rashtra Deepika Ltd. |
| Editor | Fr. Boby Alex Mannamplackal |
| Founded | April 1992 |
| Headquarters | Kottayam |
| Website |
www |
Rashtra Deepika, one of the most popular Evening tabloid (eveninger)in kerala, is printed and published by Rashtra Deepika Ltd, the publisher of The Deepika. It was launched in April 1992 as the first organized and professionally edited Evening Daily (Eveninger) of Kerala.
Over two decades and a couple of years, now it has grown by width and height. Currently Rashtra Deepika is published from nine editions viz. Kochi, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode (Calicut), Kannur, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, and from Kottayam where it is headquartered.
Editorial Board
Rashtra Deepika has a group of dedicated editors who work with one accord under the guidance of Chief Editor Boby Alex Mannamplackal who is a Catholic Priest.
History of Rashtra Deepika
Rashtra Deepika was launched around 22 years back, in the year 1992, April. As always is the case, it had a humble beginning but grown very fast as there weren’t many of its kind at that time.
Situation of Print Media in Kerala in the early 1990s
Remarkably the early 90s was neither an era of internet nor of television news channels. People relied on print media, especially newspapers, for knowing the latest news. All the more the normal daily newspapers were printed at night and so were not possible to know what happens in the late night or after midnight in this. It was with this aim to inform the people what happens in the dawn or after midnight to the people that Rashtra Deepika was launched.
It received tremendous response from the people who accepted it with both hands. Soon it became very popular among the working class and the executive class alike. Currently too, it is read by the people of Kerala.
Expansion
Though Rashtra Deepika was first printed only from Kottayam, later other editions were started. Now it is printed from 9 editions and has the readership of over a million.
Cartoonscope
Cartoonscope is as old as Rashtra Deepika and is synonymously popular. This satirical cartoon column by Raju Nair (cartoonist) remains a good platform for the people to comment satirically on the current political issues as well as other happenings in the state and the country. Raju Nair answers the questions raised by the readers. It is closing to its 6000 episode (5952 th episode on November 6, 2014) and is likely to touch the 6000 mark by the end of this year.
Other Evening Dailies
1). Kerala Kaumudi Flash 2.) Metro Vaartha