JAMMU, Jun 24: Marking 102 years since Lala Mulk Raj Saraf published Ranbir, Jammu & Kashmir’s first newspaper, on June 24, 1924, the JDGD Saraf Trust announced the launch of “The Ranbir Fellowship” — a first-of-its-kind initiative to foster inquiry, innovation and entrepreneurial action in journalism, media, and public service.
Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, widely known as the Father of Journalism in J&K, had named the newspaper as Ranbir, which literally means “Knight of the Battlefield”. He founded the newspaper against considerable odds and believed that conscientious individuals must possess the courage and determination to overcome challenges in pursuit of a larger purpose. Saraf established the JDGD Saraf Trust in 1985 to promote conscientious journalism, encourage young talent, and strengthen the role of media as a force for public service.
The Ranbir Fellowship draws inspiration from Saraf’s life and work, which demonstrated that meaningful change begins when individuals step forward to act despite uncertainty, limited resources, and prevailing challenges. The Fellowship, aimed at students, will combine mentorship, field engagement, and project-based learning to encourage the youth to move from observation to inquiry to meaningful public-interest action — through journalism, storytelling, civic engagement, and innovation.
The Trust invites universities, colleges, and entrepreneurship and incubation centres across Jammu & Kashmir to collaborate in the mission.
Announcing the initiative, Managing Trustee Dr. Sonali Gupta noted that while the tools of public service have changed dramatically over the past century, the need for thoughtful inquiry, courage, and constructive action remains as important as ever. Further details on applications, programme structure, mentors and partner institutions will follow in the coming weeks. The inaugural cohort will commence later this year.