Mukesh Rajak joined as one of the youngest Community Correspondents in 2010. In the past seven years, he's evolved into a seasoned activist. With several videos focusing on irrigation, agriculture and corruption in Jharkhand’s educational system, Mukesh was awarded the Vivekananda Yuva (NGO) 2011 Excellence in Community Reporting award by the Chief Minister of his state. Mukesh occasionally produces and…

Mukesh Rajak

4th August 2015 | Salaiya village, Madhupur block, Deogarh district, Jharkhand | Mukesh Rajak

Birth certificates are necessary for availing the benefits from various government schemes designed for children. Acquiring birth certificates from Jharkhand's government hospitals can however take years, as this report shows. In this video, a community's Kafkesque struggle for the same is rewarded with the help of Community Correspondent Mukesh Rajak. Mukesh's video ensured that 30 families were able to get birth certificates for their children.

Before Mukesh had made the video, the 30 families as well as the local health worker had worn the soles of their slippers thin by making repeated visits to the hospital. Mukesh, took members of 5 families with him to the Block Hospital which had been responsible for the delays. There he presented the evidence to an officer who immediately sanctioned birth certificates.