17th Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2021&2022
Event: The 17th Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism were presented in New Delhi for the years 2021 and 2022.
Presenters: The awards were presented by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, along with Viveck Goenka, Chairman of The Indian Express Group, Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, and Justice B N Srikrishna, jury member.
Key Points by Nitin Gadkari:
- India’s economic progress is crucial, but convictions and principles are equally important in a democracy.
- He emphasized the role of media in providing knowledge, not just information.
- Reflecting on the Emergency, he highlighted the importance of standing by principles, citing Ramnath Goenka as an inspiration.
Award Categories: The awards recognized excellence in journalism across 13 categories, including investigative journalism, sports, politics and government, books, feature writing, and regional languages.
Winners: 44 journalists were honored for their outstanding contributions across print, digital, and broadcast mediums.
Media’s Role: Viveck Goenka emphasized the role of journalism in democracy, stating that good journalism goes beyond elections and serves the citizens’ right to know in a fair and accurate manner.
Record Entries: This year received a record number of 1,313 applications, indicating the continuing relevance and impact of journalism.
Guests: The event was attended by political leaders, diplomats, judges, and media personalities, including representatives from the India Today Group, former AMU V-C Tariq Mansoor, and Google’s Head of News Partnerships in India, Durga Raghunath.
Jury: The jury for the 17th edition included Justice B N Srikrishna, Prof. (Dr) C Raj Kumar, Dr S Y Quraishi, and K G Suresh, recognizing excellence in journalism.
Past Chief Guests: Past editions have seen eminent personalities like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, and former Presidents Pratibha Patil, A P J Abdul Kalam, and Ram Nath Kovind as chief guests.
Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award Winner 2021&2022
| Category | Year | Winner | Work |
| Hindi | 2021 | Kirti Dubey, BBC News Hindi | Story on the police investigation following four lynching cases |
| 2022 | Anand Choudhary, India Today Magazine | Story on the loopholes in the implementation of a Central scheme in Rajasthan | |
| Regional Languages | 2021 | Shabitha MK, Mathrubhumi Daily | Investigative series mapping the situation of women in Kerala jails |
| 2022 | Anand Madhusoodan Sowdi, Kannada Prabha Daily | Reports on an appointment scam in Karnataka | |
| Environment, Science & Tech | 2021 | Jayashree Nandi, Hindustan Times | Stories on unplanned development in the higher reaches of the Himalayas |
| 2022 | Basant Kumar & Ayush Tiwari, Newslaundry | Series on the slow choking of the Aravallis | |
| Uncovering Invisible India | 2021 | Monica Jha, Freelance (Fifty-Two.in) | Story on how a testimony by four child victims led to conviction in a trafficking case |
| 2022 | Rupsa Chakraborty, The Indian Express | Series of stories on the backwardness of Nandurbar | |
| Business and Economic Journalism | 2021 | Aditya Kalra & Steve Stecklow, Thomson Reuters | Series on how Amazon’s business practices undercut small businesses |
| 2022 | Twesh Mishra, The Economic Times | Story on the import of Made in China wheels by the Indian Railways | |
| Reporting on Politics & Govt | 2021 | Ritika Chopra, The Indian Express | Series of stories on the inner workings of the Election Commission |
| 2022 | Prajwal Bhat, The News Minute | Coverage of the Udupi hijab row | |
| Sports Journalism | 2021 | Mahender Singh Manral & Mihir Vasavda, The Indian Express | Story on boxer Deepak Pahal and his descent into the world of crime |
| 2022 | Andrew Amsan, The Indian Express | Story on how an IAS officer got a stadium emptied to walk his dog | |
| Investigative Journalism | 2021 | Devesh Kumar Arun Gondane, Loksatta | Investigation that uncovered the loopholes in a recruitment exam |
| 2022 | Zoya Hussain & Hera Rizwan, TRT World | Story on hysterectomies among India’s women manual scavengers | |
| Feature Writing | 2021 | Vandana Menon, The Print | How an SDMC engineer tracked down Dara Shukoh’s burial site |
| 2022 | Raj Chengappa, India Today | Story on the truth behind why Kashmiri Pandits had to flee their homes | |
| Foreign Correspondent Covering India | 2021 | Joanna Slater & Niha Masih, The Washington Post | Story on how a group of human rights activists were subjected to surveillance |
| Prakash Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism | 2021 | Vinod Kumar Menon, Mid-Day | Series of stories on a raging pandemic |
| 2022 | Azeefa Fathima, Balakrishna Ganeshan & Prajwal Bhat, The News Minute | Investigation on the prevalence of manual scavenging | |
| Photojournalism | 2021 | Gurinder Osan, PTI | Series of photographs from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics |
| 2022 | Abhinav Saha, The Indian Express | Image of an IAS officer who got a stadium emptied to walk his dog | |
| Books (Non-Fiction) | 2021 | Vijay Gokhale | Book exploring the dynamics of negotiation between India and China |
| 2022 | Rahul Ramagundam | Biography of the socialist politician George Fernandes | |
| Broadcast (Hindi) | 2021 | Jugal Purohit, BBC Hindi News | Documentary on hardships that healthcare workers faced during pandemics |
| 2022 | Hridayesh Joshi, Newslaundry | Documentary on arsenic contamination in groundwater | |
| Broadcast (Regional Languages) | 2021 | Sofia Bind, Media One TV | Documentary on the Chola Nayakars of Kerala |
| 2022 | Tejas Vaidya, BBC News Gujarati | Documentary from Bilkis Bano’s village, Randhikpur | |
| Broadcast (Environment, Science and Technology Reporting) | 2021 | Princess Giri Rashir, EastMojo | Documentary on the mushrooming of coking coal factories in Meghalaya |
| 2022 | Down To Earth Multimedia team, Down To Earth (Web Portal) | Documentary told from nine of India’s cleanest cities | |
| Broadcast (Uncovering India Invisible) | 2021 | Vishnukant Tiwari, The Quint | Documentary examining what development means to tribals in Bastar |
| 2022 | Vikas Trivedi, BBC News Hindi | Documentary on the salt workers in the Rann of Kutch | |
| Broadcast (Reporting on Politics and Government) | 2021 | Brut India | Documentary on a women-led movement in Assam |
| 2022 | Abhishek Bhalla, indiatoday.com | Story on the Kashmiri Pandit community | |
| Broadcast (Investigative Reporting) | 2021 | Meghnad Bose, The Quint | Examining the money flow in the PM-CARES fund for vaccine development |
| 2022 | Saurabh Shukla, NDTV | Uncovering the truth behind an incident of custodial torture in Saharanpur |