Vineet Narain
Encyclopedia
Vineet Narain is a prominent India
n journalist and anti-corruption activist. His exposure of the 1990s Hawala scandal
led him to use a public interest petition to apply pressure on the Central Bureau of Investigation
. The CBI was widely criticised when its prosecutions collapsed, and the Supreme Court of India
in deciding the Vineet Narain Case made directions that included new supervision of the CBI by the Central Vigilance Commission
.
and did his higher studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University
in New Delhi. His father was an academician and served as the Vice Chancellor of two prominent universities in U.P. He fought against interference of the political masters in the admission procedure of some of the professional courses in the state. His mother was active in students politics at the Lucknow University. Her father was then the Secretary of the UP Legislative Council.
Narain married outside his caste
. His wife is an assistant professor of Russian language at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She was educated at Modern School
in New Delhi. His eldest son Azeez Narain is a manager in Tata Administrative Services (TAS). His younger son, Eeshit Narain is an independent film maker based in Delhi <ShreeJee Productions>.
Narain was drawn to social work from his early youth. He worked in a village at the age of 18 years with an NGO.
to light. 115 top bureaucrats were identified as having participated in the scam. Case No.340-43 of 1993, Supreme Court of India
The case got a momentary boost up as a result of a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed in the Supreme Court. In 1996 for the first time in Indian history, several cabinet ministers, chief ministers and governors were charge-sheeted.Several landmark decisions were passed by the Supreme Court of India in the Vineet Narain Vs Union of India and Ors case.
In July 1997, Mr. Narain compelled the Chief Justice of India comment on the Hawala case. He wrote a book on the case entitled Hawala ke Deshdrohi or Dangerous Silence.
, all the proceedings against him were withdrawn.
-language video magazine, in 1989. He faced hurdles due to financial crisis and by the government controlled censor board. He writes a weekly syndicated column in several regional daily newspapers.
Earlier he worked as a correspondent of national dailies and has appeared in programmes on several international television networks. He began investigative TV journalism
in 1980. TV & Video World reported, "It may sound surprising, but men of principles, willing to take tough stand and unwilling to compromise on basic ideals, still exist in our society. When, in April 1987, one of his programmes in the Sach Ki Parchhain series was arbitrarily stopped by Doordarshan
authorities, its producer, TV and newspaper journalist Vineet Narain vowed never to present anything on the government-controlled network until it was made autonomous and functioned more democratically."
He has been honored by the life membership of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy Of Film & Television
.
Through Kalchakra Investigative News Bureau, he, along with his associates, undertake investigative journalism in India. He is also the founder Secretary of People’s Vigilance Commission, a group headed by J F Ribeiro, Ex-DGP, Punjab. Narain has been involved in the wider restoration works in Braj
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n journalist and anti-corruption activist. His exposure of the 1990s Hawala scandal
Hawala scandal
The Hawala scandal or hawala scam was an Indian political scandal involving payments allegedly received by politicians through four hawala brokers, the Jain brothers...
led him to use a public interest petition to apply pressure on the Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
. The CBI was widely criticised when its prosecutions collapsed, and the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
in deciding the Vineet Narain Case made directions that included new supervision of the CBI by the Central Vigilance Commission
Central Vigilance Commission
Central Vigilance Commission is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption. It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government of India, and...
.
Family and early life
Born in 1956, Vineet Narain had his primary education in Western Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and did his higher studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
in New Delhi. His father was an academician and served as the Vice Chancellor of two prominent universities in U.P. He fought against interference of the political masters in the admission procedure of some of the professional courses in the state. His mother was active in students politics at the Lucknow University. Her father was then the Secretary of the UP Legislative Council.
Narain married outside his caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
. His wife is an assistant professor of Russian language at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She was educated at Modern School
Modern School (New Delhi)
Modern School, commonly known as Modern, is a co-educational private school in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1920 by Lala Raghubir Singh and Sir Sobha Singh. Considered to be one of the elite schools, Modern is also referred to as the Eton of India. It is the first private school established...
in New Delhi. His eldest son Azeez Narain is a manager in Tata Administrative Services (TAS). His younger son, Eeshit Narain is an independent film maker based in Delhi <ShreeJee Productions>.
Narain was drawn to social work from his early youth. He worked in a village at the age of 18 years with an NGO.
Hawala Scam
Vineet Narain was responsible for bringing the Hawala scandalHawala scandal
The Hawala scandal or hawala scam was an Indian political scandal involving payments allegedly received by politicians through four hawala brokers, the Jain brothers...
to light. 115 top bureaucrats were identified as having participated in the scam. Case No.340-43 of 1993, Supreme Court of India
The case got a momentary boost up as a result of a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed in the Supreme Court. In 1996 for the first time in Indian history, several cabinet ministers, chief ministers and governors were charge-sheeted.Several landmark decisions were passed by the Supreme Court of India in the Vineet Narain Vs Union of India and Ors case.
In July 1997, Mr. Narain compelled the Chief Justice of India comment on the Hawala case. He wrote a book on the case entitled Hawala ke Deshdrohi or Dangerous Silence.
Indian Judiciary
Narain brought out a series of land scams involving of one of the sitting chief justices of India. As a result, contempt of court proceedings were initiated against him and he fled the country. Later on, due to the intervention of various international organisations like Committee to Protect JournalistsCommittee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, all the proceedings against him were withdrawn.
TV Journalism in India
He launched Kalchakra, the first HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
-language video magazine, in 1989. He faced hurdles due to financial crisis and by the government controlled censor board. He writes a weekly syndicated column in several regional daily newspapers.
Earlier he worked as a correspondent of national dailies and has appeared in programmes on several international television networks. He began investigative TV journalism
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
in 1980. TV & Video World reported, "It may sound surprising, but men of principles, willing to take tough stand and unwilling to compromise on basic ideals, still exist in our society. When, in April 1987, one of his programmes in the Sach Ki Parchhain series was arbitrarily stopped by Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
authorities, its producer, TV and newspaper journalist Vineet Narain vowed never to present anything on the government-controlled network until it was made autonomous and functioned more democratically."
He has been honored by the life membership of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy Of Film & Television
Asian Academy of Film & Television
The Asian Academy of Film & Television is a film school located in India's Noida Film City in India's Capital region, NCR. It is affiliated with the International Film & Television Research Center and the Marwah Films & Video Studios....
.
Current Activities
Vineet Narain writes a syndicated column in over 22 national dailies on a weekly basis. Vineet Narain gives a weekly news report from India on telephone to SBS Radio, Australia and also contributes to weekly columns in two dozen popular dailies of India.Through Kalchakra Investigative News Bureau, he, along with his associates, undertake investigative journalism in India. He is also the founder Secretary of People’s Vigilance Commission, a group headed by J F Ribeiro, Ex-DGP, Punjab. Narain has been involved in the wider restoration works in Braj
Braj
Braj is a region mainly in Uttar Pradesh of India, around Mathura-Vrindavan. Braj, though never a clearly defined political region in India but is very well demarcated culturally, is considered to be the land of Krishna and is derived from the Sanskrit word vraja...
.
External links
- Vineet Narain's Website
- Kalchakra's Website
- Current Activity
- Supreme Court Judgement Vineet Narain & Ors Vs. Union Of India & Anr