In the remote regions of India, demand is growing for access to Shu Choudhary’s cell phone network -- which allows citizens to send and receive news reports in their own language for the very first time.

The World Media Academy – Delhi has launched its inaugural class with 18 students from around the world, each of them enrolled in a 10-month graduate journalism program in television, print and digital media. It is a joint venture between the International Center for Journalists and Greycells Ltd., a Mumbai-based education company.

A project developed by Knight International Journalism Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary has won a technology award in India that recognizes unique initiatives to improve information sharing and citizen services through social media and Web 2.0 developments.

The 2010 India eGov 2.0 Award for Social Media Useage was presented Oct. 28 to Choudhary for his CGNet Swara , or “Voice of Chhattisgarh” project. “Voice of Chhatisgarh” enables trained citizen journalists in the remote Chhattisgarh region of India to produce news reports that local villagers listen to on their cell phones.