IPI invites entries for award

New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) The India Chapter of the New York-based International Press Institute (IPI) has invited nominations from mediapersons for its prestigious annual award to recognise outstanding work done by an Indian news organisation or an individual journalist in furtherance of public interest, including safeguarding of the press and human rights.

The award will be for excellence in journalism where a news organisation (print, TV, radio or Internet) or an Indian editor or a journalist has focussed his/her reports, articles, cartoons or editorial medium on an issue of high public importance during the period January 1-December 31, 2006.

Foreign correspondents of Indian publications and broadcasting channels are also eligible for the award, which comprises a cash component of Rs two lakh and a citation.

Nominations, accompanied by relevant material, should reach IPI-India, located at INS Building here before August 15.

The IPI-India has constituted a jury, headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice A S Anand, who also served a tenure as Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, for deciding the awards, which would be announced in October.

The award will be presented at a function to be held in December in the national capital.

The past recipients include The Indian Express, which was selected for the inaugural award in 2003 for its investigative reports on the Gujarat riots, and New Delhi Television (NDTV) for its investigative series on babyswapping in hospitals of Hyderabad.

The Indian Express bagged the award for a second time in 2006 for its sustained investigations of the Bihar flood scam and the Vanishing Tigers.

UNI