Indian Express chosen for IPI-India award

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) Leading English daily "The Indian Express" has been awarded the prestigious International Press Institute-India Award for excellence in investigative journalism during 2005.

The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs two lakhs, a trophy and a citation, will be presented by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at a function here on December eight.

In a press release, IPI-India Chapter said the work done by the newspaper to expose the Bihar flood scam, as well as the investigation into the missing tigers from Indian wildlife sanctuaries has been chosen as the best examples of furtherance of public interest by media organisation during 2005.

The jury noted that the newspaper had continuously investigated these two subjects of high public importance, exposed the guilty and helped the victims by its reportage. The newspaper's reporters, Verghese K George (flood scam) and Jay Mazoomdar (tiger investigation) had diligently investigated and followed the two developments to their logical conclusion.

The jury, headed by former National Human Rights Commission Chairman A S Anand, consisted of "The Hindu" Editor N Ravi, "Hindustan Times" Editorial Director Shobhana Bhartia, Malayala Manorama Managing Editor Philip Mathew and Press Trust of India Editorn-in-Chief M K Razdan.

The IPI-India had instituted the annual award in 2003 to recognise and honour the best work done by an Indian media organisation or journalist working in print, radio, television and internet mediums, in furtherance of public interest, including safeguarding the freedom of the press and other freedoms such as Human Rights.

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