By Jaisila Bajaj

87 awardees from across the country recognized for their gender-sensitive Media reports at the dition of Laadli Media & Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2023- Regionals
Tinka Jail Radio podcast receive awards in the web category of podcasts
These are the only podcasts in India on prisons
Conceived and narrated by Vartika Nanda, Founder, Tinka Tinka Foundation
Foundation received award in the same category in 2021, featuring jail inmates of Tinka Jail Radio in Karnal
Tinka Tinka Foundation is credited to introduce prison radios in District Jails of Agra (Uttar Pradesh) and Dehradun ( Uttarakhand) and the jails of Haryana

87 awardees from across the country are recognized for their gender-sensitive Media reports at the 13th Edition of Laadli Media & Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2023- Regionals. More than 850 entries were received in 13 languages from across the country. The Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity are one of its kind awards in the world, given exclusively for promoting gender sensitivity in the media. Tinka Tinka Prison Radio is honoured with the Laadli Media Award in Jaipur, Rajasthan in the Hindi category of Web Podcasts. This award has been given for episode 36 of Tinka Tinka Jail Radio Podcast titled Ambala Jail Radio and the women inmates. This was broadcast on March 31, 2022.

About the award winning entry:

This podcast is based on the women inmates lodged in Central Jail, Ambala. This is one of the historical jails in India. Tinka Tinka Foundation started prison radios in the state of Haryana in 2020. As a part of this initiative, in December 2020, 21 inmates were selected for a special training program by Dr. Vartika Nanda, Founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation.(TTF) They were mentored to become RJs in the newly established radio stations in the jail premises. More than 300 inmates, including women and transgender inmates, have been trained as RJs in the jails of Haryana. This special episode depicts the journey of women inmates lodged in Central Jail, Ambala and their association with the jail radio. These inmates were a part of the radio skill production training programme, included in the broad prison radio training project in the state of Haryana. The award-winning entry is a podcast, conceived and narrated by Vartika Nanda and audio edited by Harsh Vardhan. Vartika Nanda heads the Department of Journalism in Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. Harsh Vardhan is a young journalist working with a media house.

Impact:

Tinka Tinka Jail Radio Podcasts are an exclusive audio series for jails across India. These podcasts are the only podcasts in India solely dedicated to prison reforms in the country and aim to bring about a positive change in prisons. With no financial support, these podcasts. which began in 2020, have been successful in highlighting original voices of inmates from different prisons of the country. Conceptualised, scripted and voiced by Dr. Vartika Nanda, these podcasts are freely available on Tinka Tinka Foundation’s YouTube channel: Tinka Tinka Prison Reforms. Tinka Tinka Jail Radio has contributed immensely towards improving physical and mental health of inmates, apart from providing them an additional skill, leading them to reformation through the jail radio.

Laadli Media Awards:

These are an initiative of Population First, a Mumbai-based social impact organization, supported by UNITED Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) that has been working for the past two decades to promote gender sensitivity in media nationwide. The grand event was held with the support from Lok Samvad Sansthan-a Jaipur based Media Advocacy organization at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur, on the 21st of October. Dr. Dev Swarup, Vice Chancellor, Baba Amte Divyang University, Rajasthan was the Chief Guest, while special guests included Ms Anuja Gulati ,Programme Management Specialist, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Dr. A.L. Sharada ,CEO of Population First and spearheads the media advocacy campaign for gender sensitivity – Laadli,said that during a yearlong advocacy intuitive – a total of 30 Jury meetings were conducted to identify the winners. Fifty-five eminent personalities from various walks of life, including academics, media, journalism, social activists, change makers, business strategists, authors, and more from across the country and some from overseas, made up the jury panels. A total of 87 journalists are being presented with the Laadli Media Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity, while 31 will receive the Jury Appreciation Citations.

Prof Sanjeev Bhanawat, Former Head of Journalism and Mass Communication Centre of Rajasthan University and Priyanka Katariya – Anchor Doordarshan and AIR hosted the event.