Vartika Nanda

Vartika Nanda is a prison reforms activist, media educator and gender communicator with over two decades of industry, academic and administrative experience. Her domain expertise lies in journalism - its teaching, practice and training.
Professional Experience: With a Doctorate in Journalism on the issues of coverage of rape by print media, she is currently the Head of the Department of Journalism in Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi University. She has taught TV journalism at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi as Associate Professor for three years in the past ( Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) ) She has held various journalistic assignments in electronic media including Zee News, NDTV and Lok Sabha TV .Vartika was the First Executive Producer of Lok Sabha TV and played an instrumental role in the conception, setting up and running of the channel.
She was conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar, 2013 ( Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award) by the Hon'ble President of India, Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhawan in 2014. This award was given in recognition for her contribution in creating awareness on women's issues through media and literature.
Areas of Research: Her research areas include prisons, relationship between police, crime and the persecution of victims, gender reporting and portrayal of women in media. She also specializes n imparting training on crisis communication.
Special Work on Prisons: Vartika Nanda is a crusader on prison reforms and the first Indian academician to have started a continuous project on prisons. She is the founder of the Tinka Tinka Project - a unique series to bring change in the lives of the jail inmates. Vartika Nanda is credited to have curated and created the concept of awards for prisoners for the first time in India.Two awards exclusively for inmates - Tinka Tinka India Awards and Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards have been instituted by her as part of the effort.
Tinka Tinka Website: The unique site, www. tinkatinka.org, is a reflection of changes inside the four walls. This site is for all those who want to bring sunshine, hope and reformation in the lives of the inmates. This site was released by Sh Kiren Rijiju, MOS, Home in May 2016
Tinka Tinka Tihar : Nanda has been actively working with the women inmates of Tihar Jail, Asia's largest prison.Included in the Limca Book of Records (in 2015), Vartika’s latest book, Tinka Tinka Tihar ( co authored with Vimla Mehra, IPS, Former DG, Tihar Prisons) is the first book of collection of poems written by selected women inmates of Tihar Jail. A poem from the book, now adorns the walls of Tihar Jail along with 16 works of art.This is the longest mural painting in India. This art work was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung in March 2014.
Tinka Tinka Dasna : Dasna Jail, situated in Ghaziabad, UP, is now next in her series. This unique concept by her has so far created a calendar, an amazing wall, calendar and a theme song. Her recent book, Tinka Tinka Dasna, is a unique reporting on the life inside jails aimed at bringing hope and positivity.
Direction/ Lyrics:
• 2016 : Tinka Tinka Dasna : Theme Song for the Jail: This song for Dasna Jail paved way to encourage the prisoners further. Conceptualised, written and directed by Vartika Nanda, this song is sung by 13 inmates of Dasna Jail (out of which 10 are on life imprisonment). This song was released by the Minister of Prisons, UP Government, Shri Balwant Singh Ramuwalia. This song is declared as the theme song of the jail.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s84QyAoEBM. BBC website also gave a special coverage to this story.
• 2016: Gaon Ki Selfie conceptualized and scripted by Vartika Nanda, the song – Gaon Ki Selfie was released by Sh Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways at the India Islamic Centre in Jan 2016. This song is sung by Padmashri Malini Awasthi.
• 2015: Conceptualized, scripted and directed a unique musical video of its kind, Tinka Tinka Tihar showcasing the musical wealth of Tihar inmates. This film was released in Parliament House Chamber by Smt Sumitra Mahajan, Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha in May 2015. For the first time, a film of this kind has been shot inside any prison in India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZHlOMUnYrs
• 2012: Collaborated with 24 Frames Films and made a short public service film Nanakpura Kuch Nahi Bhoolta based on her poetic journey, ‘Thee . Hoon .. Rahungi ...’ centered around domestic violence. This film is based on Vartika's poetic journey, Thee. Hoon.. Rahungi… and was released by the (then) Hon’ble Minister Women & Child Development Minister Smt Krishna Tirath in 2012. This film was also presented to Ms Praneet Kaur, (then) Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India at Vishwa Hindi Sammelan at Johannesberg, South Africa (2012). This film has been shown on Lok Sabha TV on various occasions. This film was selected as the Best issue based Documentary in Hindi for the Northern Region and was given the Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for the year 2013-14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J6vETGzpGk
She also produced a thematic representation of violence against women 'Sshhh.....'. A unique initiative which aimed to challenging the perception that domestic violence is limited to the lower strata of the society and raising the question whether the society and the system truly supports women in breaking the silence, through a dramatic dialogue of dance, music and theatre with soaring live vocals and percussion. This presentation marks the beginning of a national campaign to generate awareness about the issue of domestic violence which culminated with the launch of her book ‘Raaniyan Sab Jaanti Hain” in 2015.
Advisor/Member:
• 2016: Nominated as a member of the Council of MNREGA, Ministry of Rural Development
• 2016: Expert on the Evaluation Committee as a member for DD-URDU Channel
• 2013: Co-opted on the expert committee on Prasar Bharti constituted by the Government of India under the chairmanship of Sam Pitroda
• 2013: Sole outside expert for the Programme Committee under the chairmanship of DG, Doordarshan to evaluate and examine the feasibility of the proposal titled ‘ 100 years of Indian Cinema’
• 2013 & 2014: In the advisory panel of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India
• 2013: Media Consultant and moderator for Ahimsa Messenger Programme launched by Sonia Gandhi in Aug 2013. This initiative was aimed at empowering women against violence
• 2013: Member, Media & Communication Committee for AICTE
• 2010 : On the boards of various academic institutions including NCERT (Text Book Committee on Media Studies)
• 2013: Media Advisor to the Crime against Women Cell of Delhi Police
• 2012 & 2011: Member of the committee to select Media Consultants and Research Assistants for the Ministry of Women and Child Development
She is the editor of "Gaon ki Selfie", a periodical dedicated to developmental communication, along with well known bureaucrat Rashmi Singh. She is also the honorary editor of "Media Dunia", a section dedicated to news media industry views and analysis, run by Web Dunia. Web Dunia has the distinction of being the first Hindi web portal in the world.
Nanda belongs to the league of journalists who pioneered television news in India. Her association with television news started at the age of twelve as the youngest television anchor in Asia. Her association with print journalism began with her engagement as Associate Editor with a quarterly journal on media, Communication Today. She continues to oversee the journal. As a regular columnist, she contributed for over two years to The Pioneer and Hindi Outlook till 2007.

Awards

• 2014: The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Stree Shakti Puraskar, 2013 ( Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award) to her on the occasion of International Women's Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 8 March 2014. This award has been given in recognition for her contribution in creating awareness on women's issues through media and literature. These awards, instituted in 1991, are given to six illustrious women every year for on the occasion of International Women's Day.
• 2015:Included in the Limca Book of Records, 2015, her latest book, Tinka Tinka Tihar ( Co authored with Vimla Mehra, IPS, Former DG, Delhi Prisons) is the first book of collection of poems written by selected women inmates of Tihar Jail.
• 2015: Ojaswini Vishisht Alankaran,2015 for her work on Prisons and Media given by the Finance Minister of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal
• 2015: Javitri Devi Joshi Award by Dwarka Sewa Nidhi in Jaipur (Rajasthan) for her contribution in human interest stories
• 2015: Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for the year 2013-14 for the public service film – Nanakpura Kuch Nahi Bhoolta. This film was selected as the Best issue based Documentary in Hindi for the Northern Region and the award was given by the Culture Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
• 2015: Women Achiever Award : 1st World Women Award: Empowering Women: Gandhi Peace Foundation Auditorium, New Delhi
• 2013: Youth Icon of the Year Award presented by Vijay Bahuguna, then Chief Minister, Uttarakhand in Dehradun
• 2012: Dr. Radhakrishnan Memorial National Media Award
• 2012: Rituraj Parmpara Samman for the collection of poetry – Thee. Hoon.. Rahungi… published by Rajkamal Prakashan in 2012
• 2011: Selected as one of the top 111 Hindi women writers of the world (in the 21st century) by the Sunday Indian Group (Planman Media) in 2011
• 2007: Recipient of the Bharatendu Harishchandra Award for the year 2005 for the book Television aur Apradh Patrakaarita published by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Instituted by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in 1983, these awards are given to promote original writings in Hindi on journalism and mass communication . Bhartendu Harishchandra Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Publications :
Raniyan Sab Janti Hain : First ever book with poems dedicated of victims and survivors of different crimes 2015 (rated amongst Top 5 books by Femina)
Tinka Tinka Tihar:(Co authored with Vimlaa Mehra, IPS):First book of collection of poems written by selected women inmates of Tihar Jail: Published by Rajkamal Prakashan : Book was released by the then Hon'ble Minister of Home Affairs, Sh Sushil Shinde at the APPCA Conference in Vigyan Bhawan in Sept 2013 [1], [2], 15th addition [3]
Thee. Hoon..Rahungi: (First book of collection of poems in India revolving around the issue of crime against women) : Published by Rajkamal Prakashan : 2011 [4] : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/she-was-she-is/article3777425.ece
Marjaanee: (Compilation of poetry): Published by Rajkamal Prakashan : 2011 [5]
Television aur Crime Reporting : Published by Rajkamal Prakashan : 2010 [6]
Co- authored a book titled Media aur Jansamvad: Published by Samayik Prakashan : 2009
Television aur Apraadh Patrakarita : Published by IIMC : 2006
Madhur Dastak: (Compilation of poetry in Hindi) : 1989