Scribe drive
In the world of journalism, little attention is ever paid to rural areas where almost 80 per cent of India's population resides. But now a Hindi daily published from Daltonganj, Palamau, in south Bihar, has introduced an award for rural-reporting. Rashtriya Navin Mail has instituted this award on the eve of its first anniversary on October, 14, 1995, in the hame, of late Deoki Nandan Singh, a renowned journalist of Bihar.
This award, called the Deok! Narfdan Singh Smriti Shasha Puraskar, will- not be, confined within Bihar alone, but welcomes nation-wide entries. Although the exercise is late in , the inaugural year (last date is January 31, 1.9961,- next time, the ;,eadfine for entries will be - set 40 days ahead of the anniversary day.
Six renowned Hindi journalists will be appointed Members,of the selection board for assessing the reports sent. The prizes will be - first prize - Rs 5,000, second prize - Rs 2,500, and third prize - Rs 1,500. There will-be seven consolation prizes. The effort is no doubt a pioneering one, as no other Hindi daily has endeavoured this before.