NEW DELHI: UR Rao, chairman of the Prasar Bharati Corporation, has put in his papers, citing personal reasons.

Sources in Prasar Bharati admitted today that Prof Rao, a former head of the country's premier space research institute, ISRO, has sent in his resignation to the information and broadcasting ministry.

However, there was no official communication from the Prasar Bharati in this regard. Nor from the ministry.

Prof. Rao was chosen as the chairman of the Prasar Bharati board by a selection committee, comprising the vice-president of India, Press Council chairman and a government nominee, after a lot of deliberation.

Prasar Bharati got its second chairman more than a year after its first chairman died a couple of years back.

If the resignation is accepted, then the selection committee, likely to have new members with the new vice-president too having taken over, will have to meet to zero down on another candidate for the chairman's post of Prasar Bharati. BG Verghese, a veteran journalist and seniormost member of the board, may be made acting chairman once Raos resignation is accepted by the government, the Indian Express has reported.