Our Story

WHO WE ARE:

Tinka Tinka Foundation (TTF) is a Public Charitable Trust. It was registered on 31st May, 2016 in New Delhi. It is constituted to work for prison reforms by encouraging prison inmates through art, culture, literature and media as well as prison administrators. Tinka Tinka believes that inmates are human resources who can contribute in the process of development, growth, and nation-building.

CONCEPT AND THE MEANING:

Tinka is a word from Hindi language which means a straw. The journey of the Foundation reflects this term as it is moving bit by bit, step by step, to initiate positive changes in prisons.

OBJECTIVES

The objective is to reform jail inmates through journalism, education, art, culture, literature and by developing life skills.   

It aims to instil creativity, positive change, healing in inmates and integrating them in the nation-building process. 

It endeavours to draw the attention of the world towards the contribution of inmates and to positively influence social attitudes about them. 

WHAT WE DO:

In its endeavour to build a bridge between the prisons and the society, the TTF has undertaken the following: 

  1. Three books have been published by TTF on prison life, titled Tinka Tinka Tihar (2013), Tinka Tinka Dasna (2016 & 2020) and Tinka Tinka Madhya Pradesh (2018). These are credible and original writings on human rights and prison reforms and the culmination of our continuous engagement with prisons.  TTF has resolved that it will be solely publishing books on prisons. It is the only such publisher in the country committed towards jail publications. 
  2. TTF has conceptualised and executed prison radio in District Jail, Agra in Uttar Pradesh (2019), Jails of Haryana (2020) and District Jail, Dehradun in Uttarakhand (2021). Recently, prison radio was started in District Jail, Jind ( April, 2023). Inmates are selected and trained by TTF as radio jockeys and storytellers. These are in-house radio stations which are run by jail inmates. 
  3. Tinka Jail Radio is the only podcast in India dedicated to prison reforms. Started in 2020, these podcasts have proven to be a powerful medium for inmates to express their talent and to highlight issues concerning jails. We have completed 84 episodes till March, 2024. 
  4. Tinka Tinka India and Tinka Tinka Bandini Awards (20150 are the exclusive national awards dedicated to prison, honouring both inmates and the jail officials for their significant contribution to jails. These awards completed 9 years in 2023. So far, more than 130 inmates and 45 jail administrators have been honoured with these national awards. The award ceremony is conducted in a prison every year on 9th December (on the eve of international human rights day).
  5. We also undertake action-oriented research and publish books on prison reforms. This work is done under Tinka Tinka Prison Research Cell, established in 2021 by DG Prisons, Haryana. 
  6. TTF has made a significant impact and contributed immensely in documenting prison life through Tinka Prison Heritage Bites.
  7. TTF established a prison library in District Jail, Panipat in 2021, This is a unique library with a mindful design created and pained by a former inmate from Chhattisgarh. 
  8. Tinka Jail Paathshala encourages inmates for creative writing and documenting their lives. 

MAJOR PROJECTS:

Tinka Tinka Foundation has initiated and completed following major projects so far:

  1. Tinka Tinka Tihar;
  2. Tinka Tinka Dasna;
  3. Tinka Tinka Agra;
  4. Tinka Tinka Madhya Pradesh
  5. Research on the condition of women and children in the jails with special reference to Uttar Pradesh: ICSSR
  6. Research on the utility of telephones in jails (UP & MP)
  7. Prison Radio in District Jail, Agra
  8. Prison Radios in the state of Haryana
  9. Prison Radio in District Jail, Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
  10. Tinka Tinka Jail Radio Podcasts
  11. Tinka Radio Platform: District Jail, Mainpuri: October 23

Ever since the execution of the first project – Tinka Tinka Tihar in 2013, the movement has crossed many milestones, and has made a significant impact in the field of prison reforms.

IMPACT:

TTF has succeeded in raising the self-esteem of inmates, empowering them with skills of journalism, increasing the quest for education and knowledge and has contributed in fostering concrete changes in prisons, helping them reform. Tinka Jail Radio stations have proved to be highly beneficial, especially during the Covd-19 pandemic, enabling inmates to deal with stress and depression. Listening to the jail radio programs has reduced the aggression in inmates. TTF has emerged as a powerful tool to provide constructive engagement to inmates and give them new identity, further contributing to prison reforms. Collaboration with  District Jail, Dehradun has resulted in providing a stable platform to inmates to showcase their hidden talents. 

The organisation is trying to join the jails together through academic, journalistic, literary and creative pursuits. Tinka Tinka is a bridge between prisons, the judiciary and society. 

FOUNDER: Dr. Vartika Nanda is the founder of Tinka Tinka Foundation. Dr. Vartika Nanda – Tinka Tinka Prison Reforms

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Tagline of Tinka Tinka Foundation is ‘creating rainbows in prisons.