Ratan Mani Lal - Member Advisory Board

Ratan Mani Lal
Senior Journalist
Former Editor, Hindustan Times, Lucknow
& The Times of India, Lucknow
09452607832/ ratanmlal@gmail.com
Ratan Mani Lal is a Journalist with more than 36 years’ standing in major English and Hindi newspapers, a television commentator, a media academician and an expert on contemporary subjects. He is a highly respected citizen of Lucknow in view of his focus on quality, human values, helpfulness and compassion. He is a prolific writer in many newspapers and magazines.
His opinion is highly regarded in view of his wide-ranging experience in the media industry and a clear, unbiased view of socio-political developments. He has been a highly active figure in the social scenario of the state, having been responsible for the landmark constitution of the Monitoring Committee on Civic Amenities in Lucknow. He is the recipient of Maulana Mohd Ali Jauhar Award for Excellence in Journalism and for promoting Social Harmony in 1999.
Professional Career
Newspapers -
Editor (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times, The Times of India,
Editor - Dainik Bhaskar (Bhopal, Chhattisgarh)
Previously worked - Free Press Journal, The Pioneer, National Herald
Television -
Expert commentator on socio-political issues for channels such as NDTV India, NDTV 24X7, ETV Uttar Pradesh, News Express, Aaj Tak, Sahara Samay, Mahua News Line, CNEB and other agencies.
Academics –
Founder-Director of the School of Mass Communication in the Jaipuria Institute of Management
Conducted training programmes for CSRI-NBRI, NTPC, NABARD, BIRD, Lucknow Management Association, IGNOU, Lucknow University, Kushabhau Thakre Journalism and Mass Communication University, Raipur, All India Radio, Doordarshan. Created audio/video teaching material for Govt. of India’s National Mission for Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT)
Social work-
A series of reports written by him led the formation of the High Court Monitoring Committee on Civic Affairs in Lucknow that did landmark work to improve Lucknow from 1995 onwards.
Award for Excellence in Journalism by Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan in 1994 presented by the then UP Governor Motilal Vora
Avadh Ratna Award in 2001
Aijaz Rizvi Memorial Award for Excellence in Journalism, presented by the then U P Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri in September 10, 2003
Teachers’ Day Honours by Lions Club International, 2005
Chairman of the Lucknow Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI)
Member of the Executive Committee of Lucknow Management Association (LMA) 2003-2007
Member of the Club of Lucknow (2005-2007)
Organised series of seminars on Right to Information in 2006
Education and background-
He completed M.Sc. from Lucknow University in 1975 and in 1976 joined the famed newspaper National Herald, under the Editorship of legendary Editor, (late) M.C. Chalapathi Rao in Lucknow.
Present assignment-
Heading Media & Communication Research Foundation (MCRF), handling media facilitation activities, publication, training and media consultancy, regular writer of news analysis and editorial columns for Free Press Journal (Mumbai), Governance Now, Lokayat (New Delhi), Press Vani (Jaipur) and others.
Personal details-
Age - 57 years (Date of birth September 24, 1955)
Address - 7/3, Dalibagh Colony, Tilak Marg, Lucknow-226001, U.P.