Om Thanvi

One of India’s most distinguished Editors and public intellectuals in recent decades, Om Thanvi is the Founding Vice-Chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication (HJU), a state university established by the Rajasthan Legislature in 2019.

In a 43-year career in journalism, Thanvi has been a well-regarded writer, speaker and thought leader across continents. Besides his core competency of journalism, his interests range from literature, arts, culture, theatre and cinema to history, anthropology, social sciences and the environment.

Besides writing and commenting extensively on current issues across print, electronic, social and online platforms, he has also written on cinema, art, literature, archeology, architecture and language.

Om Thanvi
Thanvi during a conference, 2012
BornOmprakash Thanvi
1957
Phalodi, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
OccupationJournalist, editor
LanguageHindi
NationalityIndian
GenreMemoir, criticism
SubjectHarappan Culture
Notable workMuanjodaro
Apne Apne Agyey
Notable awards
Years active1977―Present

Om Thanvi is a Hindi writer, senior journalist, editor and critic.[3] Thanvi is currently the founding vice-chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication.[4] His most famous work is a book titled Muanjodaro.[5]

Early life

Om Thanvi was born in the town of Phalodi in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.[6] His father was an educationaist and editor of two educational journals. He grew up in Bikaner and took his post graduation degree in Business Administration from Rajasthan University.

Journalism and Editing

Thanvi started journalism in his student days in 1977 contributing to weekly 'Marudeep', daily 'Yugpaksh' (Bikaner) and weekly 'Ravivar' (Calcutta). After completing his Masters in Commerce Thanvi started his mainstream journalism in 1978 with 'Itwari', a weekly paper from the Rajasthan Patrika in Jaipur, Rajasthan. From 1980 to 1989 (for about nine years) he worked in Rajasthan Patrika. After this, he joined the Hindi daily Jansatta of the Indian Express Group and was associated with this newspaper for the next twenty-six years (from 1989 to 2015), serving as a journalist, resident editor (Chandigarh edition, 1989―99), and editor (1999―2015).[7]

After separating from the Jansatta, Thanvi also taught as a visiting professor at the famous university of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the Center for Media Studies, School of Social Sciences. He is currently the founding vice-chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jaipur (Rajasthan).[4]

Academic Experience

He has delivered lectures on journalism, language, arts, environment and other subjects in institutions in India and abroad. Among them are Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU); Delhi University; Tokyo University; Jagiellonian University, Kraków; Aligarh Muslim University (AMU); Banaras Hindu University (BHU); University of Rajasthan, Jaipur; Jammia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal; Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New York; Kushabhau Thakre University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Raipur; Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer; Maharshi Dayanand University, Ajmer; Gulbarga University; Pondicherry University, Pudducherry; Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur; The Asiatic Society, Kolkata and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi.

Thought Leadership

Thanvi has been a leading voice at conferences organised by the South Asia Free Media Association in New Delhi, Kabul, Colombo, Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Kathmandu and Lahore. He has attended Editors’ Conferences organised by Panos South Asia at Nagarkot, Bellagio, Istanbul and Brussels; Editors’ Conference organised by World Editors Forum and World Association of Newspapers in Hyderabad; Conference on Media, Public Interest and Regulations organised by the Asian College of Journalism, Panos South Asia and British High Commission in Chennai; Conferences organised by Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature in Kathmandu, Agra, Lucknow and New Delhi.  Conference on Trends in the Reporting of Migration Issues organised by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Panos Europe at Dead Sea Jordan. Conference for Financing for Development organised by United Nations in Addis Ababa. Participated in wide ranging interactions organised by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Gandhi Peace Foundation, Sahitya Akademi, Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, National Book Trust (NBT), Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), National School of Drama (NSD), Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Raza Foundation, India Habitat Centre, India International Centre, SAHMAT and ANHAD etc.

Professional Association

Thanvi has participated in conferences on environment, social sciences, arts and culture in five continents including the United Nations’ first conference on environmental degradation, also known as Earth Summit, held in1992 at Rio de Janeiro;  It's Preparatory conference held in Paris; UN Climate Change conferences in Copenhagen, Cancun, Durban, Doha, Warsaw, Lima, Addis Ababa, Paris, Marrakech, Bonn and Katowice; World Social Forum meets in Mumbai, Tunis and Helsinki; World Hindi Conferences in Bhopal, New York and Paramaribo-Surinam. Cultural conference in Havana. He was part of an official delegation of Vice President India to Bucharest, Georgetown, Port of Spain, Yerevan, Minsk, Paris and London. Joined Editors Delegation to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on invitation of the government of UK. 

Countries Visited

Thanvi is a keen traveler. Apart from exploring India extensively, he has toured five continents of the world. Major countries visited are: Afghanistan, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Hungry, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, UAE, UK, US.

Other Involvements

Thanvi had been Secretary General of Editors Guild of India for two terms as well as Vice President of the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA). He was member of the National Integration Council, headed by Prime Minister of India and is on the Advisory Council of the India International Center (IIC), New Delhi.

He has deeply been involved with environmental activities. In 1986 he was awarded the journalism fellowship by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to study Conventional Water Harvesting Methods of the Desert. He travelled extensively the arid zone to study the philosophy of water conservation, ways of living, particularly unique relationship with water in the Thar desert. That study later became a much talked and researched subject among the environmentalists all over. The Times of India interviewed him on front page: an unusual occasion in journalism when one journalist (Usha Rai) was interviewing another. He attended UN's first conference on climate change called Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro 1992 and it's preparatory conference held in Paris. In 2012, Thanvi was among few journalists who attended Rio summit, called Rio+20, again.

He is a frequent political commentator on major Hindi TV networks, mainly NDTV, RSTV, Aaj Tak, ABP News, News Nation and Etv.

Creativity
  • Muanjodaro – Excerptive travelogue tracing remains of the Indus Valley Civilization.[5][3]
  • Apne Apne Agyey – A two-volume anthology of memoirs consisting 100 contributions of writers from Hindi and other languages.[3]

Awards and recognition

Thanvi, for his work 'Muanjodaro', has received various awards.

gollark: It's less likely.
gollark: Using *two* lasers in a self defense situation!
gollark: "Defending yourself" by blinding anyone nearby is just a bad idea on many levels.
gollark: What *is* that picture?
gollark: The sun is quite bright and dangerous despite its distance, though.

References
  1. "Om Thanvi gets Bihari Puraskar". aajtak.in. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  2. "Profile at Jaipur Literary Festival". 8 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  3. "लेखक ओम थानवी का व्यक्तित्व OM THANVI". Hindisamay.com. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  4. https://www.bhadas4media.com/haridev-joshi-journalism-university/
  5. "Muanjodaro written by Om Thanvi". aajtak.in. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  6. "Writer-journalist Om Thanvi felicitated with Bihari Puraskar". India Today. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  7. "About Om Thanvi". Bloomberg L.P. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  8. "Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Award". khsindia.org.
  9. "Bihari Puraskar for writer-journalist Om Thanvi | Business Standard News". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  10. "'मुअनजोदड़ो' के लिए ओम थानवी को बिहारी पुरस्कार – bihari puraskar for writer journalist om thanvi – AajTak". India Today. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  11. vanson (18 April 2015). "Bihari Puraskar for writer journalist Om Thanvi in Hindi". Jagranjosh.com. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
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