India honors fearless journalism at 20th Ramnath Goenka awards

In a powerful celebration of truth-telling and public interest reporting, the 20th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards will be presented on March 27 in New Delhi, with Vice President C P Radhakrishnan presiding as chief guest.

Recognized as one of India’s most prestigious journalism honors, the awards this year spotlight 25 exceptional works across 18 categories spanning print, digital, and broadcast platforms—each story reflecting courage, depth, and impact in an evolving media landscape.

From a searing chronicle of survival in the aftermath of the Wayanad landslides to a chilling investigation exposing a multi-state child trafficking network targeting tribal families in Rajasthan, the winning entries cut across regions and realities. Other standout works include an in-depth probe into India’s shadowy surrogate motherhood market and an expose on the illegal sale of British-era bungalows in Pune’s cantonment zones.

Instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation, the awards recognize excellence across diverse fields, including investigative reporting, politics and government, feature writing, sports, books, and regional language journalism.

The distinguished jury for this milestone edition included B N Srikrishna, C Raj Kumar, K G Suresh, Rohini Nilekani, and S Y Quraishi.

Selecting the winners, however, proved to be a formidable challenge. “Each and every story was good… sometimes they were too close a call,” noted Suresh, underscoring the razor-thin margins that separated the winners. He added that the jury weighed not just storytelling, but also the impact of the work and the risks undertaken by reporters.

The awards also reflect a shifting newsroom dynamic. Suresh observed a growing number of young journalists venturing into emerging domains such as cyber security and digital safety, even as traditional beats like environment, health, and land continue to command attention.

For Nilekani, reviewing the entries was both overwhelming and reassuring. “It was like doing a Bharat Darshan—you encounter stories that shock you, move you, and stay with you,” she said, expressing confidence that “journalism is well and alive.”

Yet, she cautioned against the blurring lines in the age of social media. While acknowledging its role in democratizing information, Nilekani emphasized the need to preserve the space for rigorous, old-school investigative journalism.

Justice Srikrishna, meanwhile, pointed to a noticeable stylistic shift, observing that while entries were sharper and more focused this year, there was a tendency towards more dramatic narration.

Despite the churn in formats, platforms, and technologies, optimism endures. “The essence of journalism remains unchanged,” Suresh said—a sentiment that resonates through every story being honored this year, reaffirming the enduring role of journalism as a pillar of democracy.