MUMBAI: With the impending explosion of news channels in the country from the likes of Sahara and NDTV there has been an understandable spurt of enthusiasm among youngsters in the field of broadcast journalism. Eight Indian journalists have received a kickstart to their careers courtesy a Chevening Scholarship. They will attend a 12-week broadcast journalists programme at Thomson Foundation, University of Cardiff.
 

The scholars were selected from hundreds of applications from all over India. They include Star News' Sidharth Datta, CNBC's Supriya Unni, DD News' Chitra Joshi and Aaj Tak's Rica Roy,

An official release informs that The Chevening Scholarships Programme is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government and managed by the British Council. The scholarships provide an opportunity to study in the UK.

The broadcast journalists programme runs from 23 June to 12 September 2003. The Chevening programme began in 1987 and has supported over 1,600 Indian scholars to date. India currently has the second largest annual number of Chevening scholars in the world, with an annual budget of 1.5 million, supporting up to 120 scholarships every year.

The Chevening scholarship programme comprises a range of short-term tailor-made professional courses and long-term academic courses tenable at various higher education institutions in the UK. The Chevening awards are fully funded awards, which cover the entire tuition fee and living expenses for the selected scholar for the duration of the award, which normally varies from four weeks to 12 months.