JOIN USDarda has been a member of the ABC's Council of Management since 2003 and deputy chairperson for 2009-2010.
A third-time member of the Rajya Sabha, he has served some of the highest national and international media bodies in different capacities and contributed to both print and electronic media.
As a member of the Upper House, Darda has highlighted crucial issues like power shortage, health, agrarian crisis, progress and uplift of common man and women's empowerment.
During his tenure as President of Indian Newspaper Society and deputy chairman of ABC, Darda has initiated several projects for the promotion of the newspaper industry.
Darda, who served as a member of the Press Council of India for two consecutive terms from 1998, was also elected as the founder president of the South Asian Editors Forum.
He is also the recipient of several journalism awards, including the prestigious Feroze Gandhi Memorial Award and has several books to his credit. As the editor-in-chief of the Lokmat Group of Newspapers, Darda has highlighted the problem of the common people.
Other members of the Bureau's Council of Management are: Ravi Dahriwal (Benett Coleman and Co Ltd), T Venkattram Reddy (Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd) and Shailesh Gupta (Jagran Prakashan Ltd).
Other publisher representatives of the Council are M Venkatesh of Hindustan Media Ventures Ltd, Amit Mathew (Malayala Manorama Co Ltd), Arita Sarkar (ABP Pvt Ltd) and I Venkat of Ushodaya Enterprises.
Members of the advertising agencies' representatives are Sam Balsara of Madison Communications Pvt Ltd (Deputy Chairman), Shahshidhar Sinha of Universal McCann Erickson (India) Pvt. Ltd (Honorary Secretary), Madhukar Kamath of Mudra Communications Pvt Ltd (Hony Treasurer) and Vikram Sakhuja of Group M Media India Pvt Ltd.
The adverisers' representatives are Subroto Chattopadhyay of the Peninsula Foundation, Paulomi Dhawan (Raymond Ltd), S M Ahmad (ITC Ltd) and Ravi Pisharody of Tata Motors Ltd.
Hormuzd Masani is the Secretary-General at the Secretariat.