Jail Radio: Karnal

Date of Inauguration: 29 April, 2021

State of Haryana has 17 districts and 3 central jails. In the year 2021, out of 5880 convicts in Haryana, 1223 were illiterate, 2321 had done class 10th, 1551 had passed 10th but had not completed graduation, 507 were graduates, and 137 had some technical degree/diploma while 141 were post-graduates. As for the undertrials, out of 18, 237 inmates, 3261 were illiterate, 7348 had studied below class 10th, 6057 had passed 10th and above but did not complete graduation.  1105 were graduates, 247 had some technical degree/diploma and only 219 were post-graduates. Among all the States/UTs, Haryana is among one of the several states which does not have separate staff for correctional work. It also does not have a women’s jail, an open jail and a borstal school: Source: NCRB, 2021

Tinka Tinka Foundation introduced prison radios in jails of Haryana. This was done in four phases. District Jail, Karnal is one of them, chosen in the second phase.

Model: Tinka Model of Prison Radio 

Jails in Phase II: District jails of Rohtak, Karnal, Gurugram and Central Jail, Hisar 1

Capacity of District Jail, Karnal: This jail has a capacity of 2434 inmates, with present occupancy of nearly 2050 inmates, including 59 women inmates. This new jail was built in 2004.

Tinka Jail Radio Training: 26 inmates were chosen and trained as Radio Jockeys, including five women, one transgender and two MBBS doctors. Out of these 5 women inmates were lodged in District Jail, Karnal.

Tinka Prison Research Cell: Translation: “ I am RJ Sonia from Karnal Jail. When the jail radio commenced its broadcast, the feeling of loneliness reduced remarkably. The walls of the prison also turned lively. When I had no one to support me, radio became my solace and a  friend. It was the new hope amidst despair. Today, I am extremely happy to be part of Tinka jail radio.  “ Sonia Chowdhary:  LINK: Tinka Jail Radio। Ep 85 Promo। Tinka Prison Research Cell। Impact of jail radio in DJ, Karnal (youtube.com)

Sonia was given Tinka Tinka Bandini Award in the year 2021 BY Shri Arvind Kumar (IPS), DG, Madhya Pradesh Prisons & Correctional Services and Dr. KLN Rao. ADG Prisons, Gujarat

Tinka Jail Paathshala in DJ, Karnal

District Jail, Karnal: 7 April, 2024: Meeting was held with Deputy Superintendent of Jail Ms. Shailakshi Bhardwaj and selected inmates regarding the progress of the jail radio. The meeting was attended by 10 inmates, including 2 women inmates.  

Gratitude: Shri Ranjit Singh, Jail Minister, Haryana,  Shri Rajeev Arora, IAS, ACS, Home & Jail Department, Shri K. Selvaraj, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Haryana, Shri Amit Bhadu, Superintendent, District Jail, Karnal and Ms. Shailakshi Bhardwaj, Deputy Superintendent, District Jail, Karnal.