A Woman In The Fourth Estate: Journalist Anubha Jain

“Yes, I see myself as an empowered woman. Empowerment brings together the strength and shine of a woman. And I believe it is first witnessed and learned from home.” Eminent journalist writer Anubha Jain always desired to do something worthwhile. Nurtured in a liberal environment Anubha’s father, was a veteran and the senior-most active journalist. In his long span of professional career, he worked as the Bureau Chief of the Press Trust of India. He was known for his writing on social issues and her mother news editor at All India Radio. They always believed in women having the right to choose and a say in the matters pertaining to them. Thus, they encouraged their daughter Anubha to chase her dreams. Anubha says, “Journalism was in my genes and my parents so fondly taught me how to deal with adversities and challenges of life with ease. After choosing this male chauvinist and perilous profession of Journalism, my life has always been a roller coaster ride with the usual thick and thin.”

Pursuing Ph.D. and a Gold Medallist in Journalism & Mass Communication, Journalist Anubha immediately after completing her master’s began her professional journey in the year 2001 as a reporter in a local daily. Just after a year, she got an opportunity to work with Ramoji Rao's Eenadu Television (ETV) in Hyderabad. Day-long training, workshops, and brainstorming sessions were terribly exhausting. The regional differences between the north and south were also challenging for her. But these challenges of those days became stepping stones for her and she kept marching forward as a comprehensive journalist and transformed herself into a gutsy woman who can withstand rough weather.




Today with hard work and dedication, she proudly sees herself standing firm among the bluechip journo of her fraternity. She has been working as a seniormost journalist with a leading Media group of Maharashtra - Lokmat Media Pvt. Ltd. She says, “As a woman journalist, I feel that Indian women still do not have the same freedom and opportunity as their counterparts irrespective of the field in which they are working. Working at the top most positions still women feel oppressed and tied up. In rural India, the scenario is much worse and calls for immediate intervention of the authorities and system. Unfortunately, worsen are misunderstood for being fragile, timid, and helpless.”

Journalist Anubha has worked for a long span in All India Radio as News Editor and Broadcaster. Still, she delivers talks on various significant issues on All India Radio, Bengaluru.

She says, “As a responsible journalist and as a woman, I feel compelled to pass on my strength to fellow women and be an enabler in women’s empowerment It is for the same reason, I authored a coffee table book "Women Leaders in Rajasthan Legislature-Since 1952" which chronicles the political journey of women lenders of Rajasthan and their contribution from the time of independence, i.e., 1952 from the very first Assembly until 14th Rajasthan State Assembly. This book journey only helped reconfirm my thoughts that women are universally facing many roadblocks while trying to achieve their due empowered position in society. The rising rate of literacy for women in recent years is a good sign, but several areas of great concern continue to plague women's growth. There are depravities such as illiteracy, dowry, increasing atrocities against women, gender inequality, female foeticide, economic slavery, and most importantly patriarchal system of society which are some of the major hindrances stopping women from their forward-moving strides.”




“I wonder why it took eight long years to bring justice to Nirbhaya. Such cases continue to remind us that women still have a long way to go so far as the safety of women is concerned,” Anubha reminisced. She said that over this issue, my interaction with Justice Vinod Shanker Dave, the former Judge of Rajasthan High Court was quite thought-provoking. Justice Dave said, "Gender Parity is a global issue which should be addressed in an articulated manner from outside and at the same time, it is also a question of self-motivation from within. Women must fight for their rights, and this can only be done by making them aware of their rights.”

Journalist Anubha remained the Director of Media and also Chairperson of the Women Empowerment Committee of Rotary and presently working as the Director of International Service Rotary Bangalore and the Additional Secretary of the Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She has organized many conferences and round table discussions with eminent women professionals and other dignitaries from different walks of life highlighting women-based issues.

Anubha muses, “I like to dedicatedly work for people and society. Spreading awareness about the rights and responsibilities of women is now my core professional agenda. I believe that education, economic independence, and a courageous attitude are the weapons that can alter the wretched state of women in our country. To me, the current situation needs to change.”

Journalist Anubha has done forthright interviews with prominent politicians including the Chief Minister of various states with other senior leaders of ruling and opposition parties; famous personalities from the industry and film fraternity, among others.

A spark to do something innovative saw her branch out into the field of computer digital designing and animation. She learned proficiency in multimedia from the well-known Mumbai-based institute, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics instituted by Bollywood Director Ketan Mehta. And hence, for a couple of years, she successfully run her own design firm and produced branding publicity material for entities like UNICEF, Fortis Escorts, WHO, National Rural Health Mission, Care India, etc.





Visited many countries viz., United States of America, Mauritius, Thailand, Hongkong, and Sri Lanka, Anubha has been conferred with International and numerous national awards also, such as The Global Woman FinEmpowerment Excellence International Award; Rotary’s Vibrant Public Image Build-up Award; Woman Achiever Award 2022 by Bhartiya Jain Sangathan, Bengaluru Chapter; Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Young Achievers/Entrepreneurs Award; Best Print Media Journalist Award and many more.

Along with her father, she was invited as one of the delegates to the 11th World Hindi Conference organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India in association with the Government of Mauritius in 2018 in Mauritius. Senior politician late Sushma Swaraj ji; poet-writer Prasoon Joshi and many dignitaries participated in the conference. Besides that, Journalist Anubha was also invited as a guest speaker at various conferences, colleges, and universities; panel speaker with eminent media professionals across the world to deliver talks and speeches.

As a profound journalist, she has been invited to cover G-20’s meetings held in Bengaluru; the inauguration of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Helicopter factory by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Karnataka; the Indian Space Research Organization ISRO at the launch of the ISRO system for safe and sustainable space operation management by the Hon’ble Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh in the presence of Sh. Somnath, Chairman ISRO at Peenya in Bengaluru; Home Minister Amit Shah conference on Drug trafficking and national security for the Southern States and UTs; BRICS Women’s Parliamentarian Forum; the World renowned Jaipur Literature Festival; Extensive coverage of Rajasthan and Karnataka Legislative Assembly Polls, and many more.

Journalist Anubha was also invited by SNDT Women’s University Mumbai and Hindustani Prachar Sabha Mumbai for a Two-day National conference as one of the speakers to deliver her talk/views on a significant issue; In this vein she as the subject specialist of Journalism invited by the Central Directorate, Ministry of Education, New Delhi, and St. Joseph College of Commerce, Bangalore for a talk and one-on-one interaction with students of Saint Joseph, Bengaluru.

Being a journalist, on the occasion of International Women’s Day she was honoured and invited as the Chief Guest by the All-India Bhansali Community South Wing in Bangalore to inspire women on the issues like Women and leadership with equality of gender.

Some of her offbeat stories published are Padma Shri awardee Trans woman Manjamma Jogati’s inspiring tale; Capt. Ram Singh Thakur – the unsung hero of India’s Independence; Precarious life of trackmen in Indian Railway; Parsi fire temple; Bandipur Tiger Reserve: In the wake of the restoration of Tiger Habitat-‘Lantana’ becomes a livelihood opportunity for Bandipur tribals and ‘Yuva Mitra’ en route wildlife conservation etc.

In the end, Journalist Anubha says, "It's beautiful when a passion and a career come together. For ultimate happiness in life, one needs to harness this passionate power that comes from within, and with this energy of passion from within, do what you love, and I love what I do."