Press Council of India’s National Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2015: Honoring Journalists

Deadline: 30 September 2015

The Press Council of India is currently inviting nominations from the journalists of India excelling in print journalism in various fields for their reports in the calendar year 2014, for the National Awards for Excellence in Journalism to encourage the media to pursue its duties effectively without fear or favour following the dictum of ‘freedom with responsibility’.

The candidates will be awarded on National Press Day i.e. 16 November, 2015.

Award Categories

The award will be given in the following categories-

1. Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award for Excellence in Journalism – The award to be conferred on the basis of nomination from entrants selection by jury on the basis of own knowledge, nominations received from associations of journalists, editors and newspapers and, nominations received from members of civil society and will recognized seminal journalistic efforts in upholding the ideals of a free Press and given to an Editor, columnist, photojournalist or cartoonist who has done substantial work in the preceding year.
2. Rural Journalism and Developmental Reporting
3. Investigative Journalism
4. Photo Journalism
5. Single News Picture
6. Photo Feature
7. Best Newspapers Art covering cartoons, caricatures and illustrations

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to all journalists/freelancers of Indian nationality.
• The nomination of journalist employed with a newspaper to be made by the editor of the newspaper/news agency, who shall declare that the journalist being nominated has been in regular employment of the newspaper/news agency for the preceding calendar year.
• Candidates should have contributed at least 10-15 reports/photographs with bye line in the given year and must highlight at least two distinguished contributions/articles on the basis of which they seek the Award in the given category.
• Freelancers making self-nomination may also file a self attested declaration with the above documents
• The entry submitted must be from the Editor of a Registered Newspaper/News Agency and the freelancers on their own.
• The original articles/photographs submitted of the publication/coverage must indicate the publication date.
• Any significant challenge to the veracity, accuracy, fairness, or authenticity or objection to significant omission of any entry such as published letters, corrections, clarifications, retractions, should be included.
• The entry must disclose if the article/photograph is a subject matter of legal challenge/proceedings. The Jury and/or the Press Council of India may require the nominee to furnish additional information/explanation in such case.
• No more than one entry for the same journalist/photo-journalist may be submitted.
• Winners who have received awards two times for the same article/photograph will not be eligible for nomination.
• An English or Hindi translation must be supplied for an entry in regional language.
• A sponsoring letter of nomination should be submitted, signed by the Editor of the newspaper/news agency.
• Incomplete entry form and enclosures, torn, ripped and or mutilated will automatically invalidate the entry and disqualify the nominee.
• The article/photograph entered must have been published in the preceding calendar year.
• The nominees will be deemed to have read and understood the rules and regulations when they sign the entry form.

How to Apply

• Applicants are required to submit complete Entry and Declaration Forms along with their CVs and entries via mail.
• Soft copies must be submitted via email.

For more information, please visit National Awards for Excellence in Journalism.