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FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED

Desertification in India is today not confined to arid ecosystems. Its menacing geological spread is laying waste lands in newer regions in the country -- far beyond the conventional hot and cold deserts. Yet there is very little national attention paid to this insidious phenomenon that translates into long-term loss in land resource potential. And the debate on accelerating desertification putting other ecosystems and people under stress is non-existent.

The second CSE Media Fellowships on "Discovering  The Desert" (December 15, 2002 – March 15, 2003) attempted to bring this issue into the center of the national discourse through news stories, articles and features and provide the much-needed impetus to understand its implications. The idea was to generate an all-India picture collating facts and figures on crucial  issues like drought, famine, soil infertility, crisis in grazing lands, plight of nomadic tribes, decline in forest cover and escalating water shortages.

Our advertisements for the fellowships drew an encouraging response from across the country. We were particularly heartened by the interest, enthusiasm and unstinting support of editors who were keen to force this issue into national attention. After a stringent screening process, an eminent panel of jury has short-listed 10 journalists from different parts of the country.

Names and principle themes of study of selected journalists

Bharat Dogra, freelance writer, Grassroots, New Delhi: Famine, food security and poverty in western Rajasthan

Jayant Singh Tomar, Bureau Chief, Dainik Jagaran, Morena (Madhya Pradesh): Traditional systems of environmental management in Bhind Morena

K Venkateshwarlu, Special Correspondent, The Hindu, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh): Desertification and resultant fall-outs in Anantapur and Mehboobnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh

Myda Narayan Reddy, Science and Environment Reporter, Vaartha, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh): Drought and desertification in Anantapur, Adilabad and Bidar

Rajesh Sinha, Correspondent, The Hindustan Times, Jaipur (Rajasthan): Disappearence of the Luni river in Rajasthan and the impacts of introduction of modern technology  on people and ecosystems

Ravsaheb Pujari, Sub-Editor, Sakal, Kolhapur (Maharashtra): Issue of soil salinity in Maharashtra and Karnataka

Satananda Bhattacharjee, Correspondent, Assam Tribune, Guwahati (Assam): Aspects of jhum cultivation in the north-east

Tashi Morup, Correspondent, Kashmir Times (Ladakh): Situation in Changthang – the threats to its traditional inhabitants from eco-tourism

Vijay Thakur, Correspondent, The Statesman, Jaipur (Rajasthan): Politics of drought and do a case study of the IGNP

Vinay M, Senior Reporter, New Indian Express, Bangalore (Karnataka): Trends of desertification in Chamrajanagar and Mandya.