Niret Alva receives National Award for outstanding efforts in science and technology communication through electronic medium

Media News

New Delhi, March 5

Following the announcement of National Awards in Science and Technology Communication by Department of Science and Technology, Government Of India, a special felicitation ceremony for the awardees was hosted by Hon’ble President Of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam on March 02, 2007 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Niret Alva, Co-founder of Miditech was conferred with the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology in Electronic Medium. Present at the award function were, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology and R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor.

The National Awards were instituted in 1988 by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, Ministry of Science and Technology to encourage and recognize efforts in the area of science popularization. This year’s award has been presented to Niret Alva, a globally acclaimed and award winning film maker, for using the electronic medium to powerfully convey the traditional science and current developments in the country. “I am truly overwhelmed by this moment. I wish to thank the Government Of India for giving me this honor and recognition. It will be my endeavor to continue using the electronic medium in a more progressive and powerful manner”, says Niret Alva.

Niret has a long and distinguished career as reporter, anchor and director. He is a graduate in History from St. Stephen's College Delhi, a post graduate diploma in journalism holder from the Indian Institute of Mass Communications, a recipient of a certificate from the Radio Netherlands Training Centre in Hilversum(Holland) for a News and Current Affairs course in Television and has earned a law degree(LLB) from Mumbai university.

Niret started as a Trainee Reporter & Scriptwriter with The Press Trust of India, Television. Beginning his career when television was still government controlled in the late 1980s, he moved on as a Correspondent with Eyewitness, a monthly independent video newsmagazine, owned by Hindustan Times Television in 1990. He learned the ropes in reporting form all the troubled spots in the country and covered subjects as diverse as Indian attitudes to sex, caste violence, the dangers of the civilian use of the army and the bungled capture of Rajiv Gandhi's assassin. From documentaries to news stories, youth based programmes and business shows to a soft feature on Aamir Khan, the first five years of his career saw him learn television and its many nuances on the job by making mistakes and learning from them.

In 1992, he joined his brother Nikhil at Miditech. Teaming up with his brother whom he complimented in talent and temperament, helped the company do series and programmes that were innovative, intriguing, award winning and critic satisfying.

He has developed and built major brands like Indian Idol, Galli Galli Sim Sim (Sesame Street), Wheels, and Living on the Edge. Niret is a world-class television presenter, he has anchored shows in travel(Great Escape), automobile(Wheels) and environment (Living on the Edge and Earth Report) over the course of his career. He has also won the Asian Television Award for Best anchor in "Wheels" for BBC World.

Niret has scripted, directed and been associated with several international, award winning documentaries like The Great Descent and Operation Hot Pursuit. A believer in collective intelligence, he strongly feels that Miditech's team, with its diverse talents and track record and the ability to keep pushing, has helped in performing shows that seemed impossible, but have eventually succeeded.

Awarded by the Department Of Science And Technology were also winners in the category of Outstanding Efforts In Science Communication, Outstanding Efforts In Science Popularization among Children, Outstanding Efforts In Science and Technology Communication for Print Medium and Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication.

For further information please contact:

Rajan Soni, Miditech Pvt Ltd @9818738346, rajans@miditech.tv

Arneeta Vasudeva, Accord PR @9811997790; arneetavasudeva@accordpr.com