Introducing myself and my journal: Hello World!

About Me:
I am an independent journalist based in Chennai - India, specialising in development and environment journalism.

At present, I am Contributor to Global Press Institute, India Ink - New York Times and Rural 21. I've been awarded a National Media Fellowship from National Foundation of India to research and write on 'Familial violence against women in Tamil Nadu, India'

Have been with the print media since 1996 in an advertising capacity and took up journalism in 2004. Have worked with leading newspapers in the country - The Hindu and The Economic Times; am the former Editor of the three English magazines: Vidura - quarterly on journalism academics; Grassroots - monthly on development journalism; and RIND Survey - technical monthly on the production-side of the print industry - all of these publications from National Institutes - Press Institute of India and Research Institute for Newspaper Development (PII-RIND) based at Chennai.

Was also Head - Programmes / Projects for Press Institute of India and have conceptualised, initiated and successfully organised several national / regional capacity building media workshops for working journalists, annual media competitions and seminars.

As Editor of both Institutes, I have been the organisation head on the editorial front and have managed both an in-house team and more than 100 freelancers from across the country and abroad.

Over the last one year, was Media Researcher with Panos South Asia. I've travelled, and provided content & photography for a coffee table book as Consultant with IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) for UN World Food Programme (WFP) on the theme 'rural women empowerment'. The book was published in Nov 2011 and is available on IFAD website.

I am Fellow of Environment Reporting from the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) of GIZ, Berlin and am also a recipient of a media fellowship from Indo-Global Social Service Society, India, to research and write on the social security schemes and food security in India.

Have also been Consultant Researcher – Chennai with ActionAid India for a scoping study on ‘Women in urban poverty’.
Am also External Examiner for BA and MA Journalism & Mass Communication degrees with MOP Vaishnav College for Women in Chennai.