The 1st Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, honoring work produced in 2005, were presented on April 12, 2006, at a ceremony in New Delhi. The awards were presented by the then Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.Instituted by the Express Group to commemorate the centenary year of its founder, Ramnath Goenka, this inaugural edition set the standard for what would become India’s most prestigious journalism honors.
Key Highlights
- Women journalists won half of the 16 awards.
- Strong focus on investigative journalism and social issues.
- Recognition of regional and freelance journalists.
Individual & Top Honors
- Journalist of the Year (Broadcast): Barkha Dutt (NDTV 24×7) – Tsunami reporting from Nagapattinam.
- Journalist of the Year (Print):
Verghese K. George (The Indian Express) – Bihar flood scam, and
Praveen Swami (Frontline) – Terrorism reporting in J&K.
Investigative & Political Reporting
- Political Reporting (Print): Manini Chatterjee (The Indian Express)
- Political Reporting (Broadcast): Rohit Khanna (CNN-IBN) – “Netas for Sale”
- Uncovering India Invisible (Print): C. Vanaja (Freelance)
- Uncovering India Invisible (Broadcast): Shikha Trivedy (NDTV 24×7)
Regional & Language Journalism
- North East (Print): Ratna Bharali Talukdar
- North East (Broadcast): Sutapa Deb
- Hindi (Print): Bhasha Singh (Outlook Saptahik)
- Hindi (Broadcast): Punya Prasun Bajpai (Aaj Tak)
Specialized Categories
- Business & Economic (Broadcast): Menaka Doshi (CNBC-TV18)
- Environmental (Print): Ramesh Menon
- Environmental (Broadcast): Swati Thyagarajan (NDTV 24×7)
- Foreign Correspondent: Somini Sengupta (The New York Times)
Event Highlights
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh emphasized the role of journalism in building consensus
and promoting liberal values. Barkha Dutt described the award as especially meaningful,
calling the Express Group the “Bible of Journalism.”
The 2006 Narrative: Core Themes
- The Tsunami Legacy: Focus on rehabilitation after the 2004 disaster.
- Exposing Institutional Decay: Investigations like the Bihar flood scam.
- The “Invisible” India: Stories from remote and conflict zones.
Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards — 2005
Journalist of the Year
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Praveen Swami | Frontline | |
| Varghese K. George | The Indian Express | |
| Barkha Dutt | NDTV 24×7 | Broadcast |
Regional Award — Jammu & Kashmir
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Mir Ehsan | The Indian Express | |
| Vikram Choudhary | NDTV 24×7 | Broadcast |
Regional Award — Hindi
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Punya Prasun Bajpai | Aaj Tak | Broadcast |
Regional Award — Regional Language
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Sopan Pandharipande | Lokmat |
Regional Award — North East
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Sutapa Deb | NDTV 24×7 | Broadcast |
| Ratna Bharali Talukdar | Freelance Journalist |
Environmental Reporting
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Ramesh Menon | Freelance Journalist | |
| Swati Thyagarajan | NDTV 24×7 | Broadcast |
Uncovering India Invisible
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| C. Vanaja | Freelance Journalist | |
| Shikha Trivedy | NDTV 24×7 | Broadcast |
Business & Economic Journalism
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Vikas Dhoot | Businessworld | |
| Menaka Doshi | CNBC TV 18 | Broadcast |
Foreign Correspondent Covering India
| Winner | Publication / Channel | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Somini Sengupta | The New York Times |