Till now, you have watched reality shows and talent hunt programmes that make the career of a few while keeping millions hooked to their TV sets, but here comes a new reality show, with  a larger goal of creating awareness about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in India.
 “Ustaad”, a reality show being produced through a tie-up between the United Nations and Endemol India, the production house behind reality shows like “Big Boss”, “Fear Factor India”, “Deal Ya No Deal”, “Heart Beat” and “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge”, will involve a large number of eminent people and artistes to achieve the eight MDGs.  The concept has been developed by Endemol India.
 to take forward the messages on some key socio-economic issues included in the MDGs.
These issues are -eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality, improvement in maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.
Commenting on the tie-up, UN Resident Coordinator Maxine Olson said in a statement, “I am pleased that we are partnering with Endomol India to produce an innovative music show that will inspire millions of Indians across generations to take up the cause of the MDGs as their own”.
UN Millennium Campaign Director Salil Shetty, explaining the concept, said India was crucial to the success of the MDG programme According to him, “if India, with a large concentration of the world’s poor and malnourished, did not achieve the Millennium Goals by 2015, the world will not achieve them”.
He added, “for the marginalised people of India -- the Dalits, Adivasis, the minorities, particularly women -- the goals offer a real hope to share the benefits of India’s economic growth through better education, health and livelihoods”.
Mr Shetty also added that  “Ustaad” would help share the importance of achieving the goals with the average Indian TV viewer in a simple and exciting way.
 The United Nations Millennium Campaign was established by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2002, with a mandate to support citizens’ efforts to hold their governments to account for  achievement of the MDGs.