Two Indians get Australia-India Council Young Media Fellowships - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Australia today announced the winners of the Australia-India Council Young Media Fellowships in New Delhi. The fellowships were announced by Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese . The winners of the 2010 fellowships are: Syed Nazakat Hussain , The Week news magazine. Hussain will be looking at issues surrounding the Australia-India bilateral relationship, including the recently announced ‘Strategic Partnership’ between the two countries. Anahita Mukherji of The Times of India will focus on higher education in Australia . The new fellowships award two young Indian media professionals grants of AUD 10,000 (approx. 4 lakh rupees) to enable them to spend up to six weeks in Australia researching stories of their choice. The Fellows will be assisted in their Australian journeys by the Australia-India Council Board and Secretariat, and by a range of eminent Australian media personalities who will provide expert advice and assistance. The Australia-India Council was established by the Australian Government in 1992 to broaden and deepen Australia-India relations through contacts and exchanges in a range of fields that promote mutual awareness and understanding. Australia-India people-to-people links are increasing, along with an elevated bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership. The Australia-India Council ensures that the relationship extends into diverse fields such as culture, economics, science, public health and sport. The Chair of the Australia-India Council and former Australian High Commissioner to India , Mr John McCarthy , was also present at the awards ceremony. McCarthy said: “ Australia is a vibrant and open country, and the Council wanted to ensure that outstanding young Indian journalists were given an in-depth opportunity to learn more about our society, people and culture. We hope the two shortlisted candidates will have a good and pleasant experience in Australia.”