Applications for Mina Swaminathan Media Fellowship 2026 are open now.

Applications have been invited for the Mina Swaminathan Media Fellowship 2026. This media fellowship award has been offered to all media persons writing in various regional languages. This is a critical occasion for mid-tier media persons to work on a deep-seated story that can also be done in a language local to India. After five years of this fellowship, this is an ode to the lifetime achievements of Mina Swaminathan, an educationist and a social reformer, an individual who advocated for gender equality, localization, and development storytelling.

It is, however, pertinent to observe that this year's fellowship becomes rather significant inasmuch as it will be held in the context of an "International Year of the Woman Farmer," which seeks to acknowledge the pivotal, yet unrecorded, role that woman farmers are undertaking in light of food/agricultural security and sustainability. Persons seeking to take part in this fellowship will be asked similar questions concerning stories about woman farming.

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility :

• Reporters who possess work experience of more than three years
• Each media practitioner, with or without passion for print media, broadcast media, radio media, digital media, or freelancing journalist:
• Ability to write in the Tamil, Malayalam, Odia, Hindi, or Marathi language

Considering the immense importance being given to regional language journalism, it is well understood by the fellowship that it is an area that gives scope and is essential for the propagation of voices coming from the rural and marginalized section of society.

Organizational Structure and Benefits of the Fellowships

• The fellowship is divided
• The fellowship tenure will take place from mid-March until early August, 2026
• Structured Induction Program
• Editorial advice offered by senior representatives of the press.
• Reporting & Research Aid - Specialized
• Writing techniques: Long-form content articles  
• Methods of writing long-form content articles
• Whether you write your own code or not, you must write three research articles, which may be either printed or disseminated through broadcasts, both electronically or in hard copies.

The shortlisted fellow will also receive a grant of ₹60,000 per person, in addition to the above, for attending field visits in connection with reporting as part of the Scheme under the Fellowship.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Moreover, given the increasing pressures that exist within the newsroom, typically combined alongside the relatively meager in-depth reporting that is carried out within rural and gender issues, media fellowships offer an opportunity that allows the News Reporter to focus on story-telling without the pressures that exist within the News Room through the Mina Swaminathan media fellowships within India.

Applying Persons who are interested can apply through the official website. The last date to apply for this position is January 18, 2026. Persons who can apply for this position include journalists who are committed to gender equity and agricultural journalism, as well as community journalism.