'Born in Uttarakhand in September 1941, V.K. Joshi worked as a geologist with the Geological SurveyOf India for 36years. During this periodhesurveyed the country extensively and studied the environments of the pre-historic eras and finally retired as Director, Northern Region. GSI at Lucknow and settled here.PostretirementinSeptember 2001he has taken up freelance journalism and using his experience he normally writes about environment nature and pets related topics. However,sometimes he does pen down satires too.He writes both in English and Hindiand has Sh VKJoshi published more than 1000 articles in all the leading newspapers of India and some leading environmen1al magazines like Down To Earth and Journal of United Nations Environmental Program.'Geo diversity is the cradle of bio-diversity' and he attempts to convey this motto.' After graduatingfrom the Hindu College,Guntur,Andhra Pradesh with a distinction, Dr. A. RAJANII Augustine Veliath retired from UNICEF as Communication Specialist. carries 23 years of experience as a media advisor,publications manager and journalist. He has beenSouth Asia's leading voice on fifth quintile listening and harvestingconversations.Adept at spotting advo cacy opportunities states of India (UP.Bihar, MP, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand) for long spells, Shri Veliath ihas been a core member of the UNICEF national Communication Team..He has been Instrumentalin setting up the60thyear UNICEF exhibition,thefirst ever by anon govern mental body in parliament premises, a series of lectures both through the Forum as well as Mr.A. Veliath parliamentsecretariat Hedrafted alarge number of policystatements,declarationsand speeches at theinternational, national and at statelevels including the summit declaration of globalchild survival task force. Hisseveral initiatives on child rights include (Bihar Children's Assembly,Child Rights Congresses- 40 districts, 1000 schools,13000 children- in Bihar and Jharkhand Children's News Expresses, newspapers brought out by children (UP),Brainstormingwith Children (UP).Pioneering work withtheyouth (Youth Initiatives NYK including 3400 child protection committeesin Bihar andJharkhand, Rights Collectives inseven districts of Bihar) Mobiliza tion of Artistsand Media (ProjectSmita) Member John Hopkins University Communication Faculty (He has been a recipient of Karuna Maitry Award from the Dalit organization Budha Mission of India for "unrivalled contnbution in usheringa differencein thelifeand thinking of the children of dalits (oppressed) in Bihar."
