IPSMF | The Independent and Public-Spirited (IPS) Media Foundation

The Independent and Public-Spirited (IPS) Media Foundation promotes excellence in independent, public-spirited and socially impactful journalism. The Foundation is a public charitable trust registered vide a trust deed executed on July 1, 2015.

The Foundation provides financial and other assistance to organizations creating and distributing public-interest information to the public at large using digital media, social media, mass media or any other media, thereby bringing about proper awareness and improving public understanding of issues.

The Foundation has been registered under Section 12AA (a) of the IT Act, 1961 and its registration number is CIT(E)/BLR/12A/M-134/AABT12413E/ITO(E)-1/ Vol 2015-2016 with effect from January 8, 2016.

The Foundation has also been granted approval under section 80G (5) (vi) of the IT Act 1961 with effect from January 8, 2016 (Approval no: CIT(E)/BLR/80G/M-135/AABT12413E/ITO(E)-1/ Vol. 2015-2016)

TRUSTEES OF THE FOUNDATION

Mr. Ashish Dhawan (Trustee)

A reputed private equity investor and philanthropist, Mr Ashish Dhawan co-founded and ran one of India's leading private equity funds, Chrysalis Capital. He is also the founder of Central Square Foundation, a grant-making organization and policy think tank focused on transforming the quality of school education in India. In 2014, he spearheaded the launch of India's first liberal arts university, Ashoka University.

Mr. CB Bhave (Trustee)

He is the Chairperson of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) – India’s first prospective National University for Research and Innovation to address challenges of urbanisation. Mr. C.B. Bhave was also the former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Mr. C.B. Bhave was also the former Chairman and Managing Director of National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).

Dr. Ramachandra Guha (Trustee)

He is a historian & writer whose research interests include environmental, social, political and cricket history. His latest book is "Gandhi Before India". Another collection of essays under the title 'Democrats and Dissenters' was released in September 2016. Dr. Guha is also a columnist for The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. A regular contributor to various academic journals, he has also written for The Caravan and Outlook magazines.

Dr. Rukmini Banerji (Trustee)

Dr. Rukmini Banerji is the CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, one of India’s largest NGOs working in education. A graduate in Economics from St Stephen’s College, she studied at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and later took a Ph D from the University of Chicago. Ms Banerji has been a member of the national leadership team of Pratham and has extensive field experience both in programme implementation and research. She has led the Annual Status of Education Report effort since its launch in 2005.

Mr. Shyam Divan (Trustee)

Shyam Divan is a senior Supreme Court advocate. He appears for citizens’ groups in environment-related cases. He assists the apex courts as amicus curiae in the Ballari illegal iron ore mining case. He is co-author of the widely used textbook Environmental Law and Policy in India and has authored chapters in the Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution (2016). Mr Divan is co-chair of the LAWASIA Human Rights Section and on the Boards of Consumer Education and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, and CARE.

Mr. TN Ninan (Chairperson)

An Award-winning journalist and one of India’s most respected economic editors, Mr. T.N. Ninan is the Chairman & Editorial Director of Business Standard. He has also served as chairman or member of the governing boards of a number of non-profit bodies and trusts, in the fields of media, environment, education and public affairs.