March 21, 2025 - President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the 19th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards 2025 at a function held in New Delhi on March 19, 2025. 27 journalists were awarded Ramnath Goenka Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions in print, digital and broadcast journalism across 13 categories in 2023 .

Mridulika Jha of Aaj Tak won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025 for her coverage of the ‘‘Dunki route” adopted by the youths of Haryana to illegally enter the US.

Twesh Mishra of The Economic Times won in Business and Economic Journalism; Shahab Ali and Amarnath Kashyap of Hindustan in Sports Journalism category.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the importance of free and fair journalism for democracy cannot be overestimated. If the citizens are not well-informed, the democratic processes lose their very meaning.

She said that a thriving newsroom full of ideas is essential for the business of news. She highlighted the importance of a research wing to ensure quality and accuracy of news. The President urged media organisations to devote more resources in encouraging the culture of reporting from the ground.

The President said that AI is disrupting the world, creating new opportunities as well as new challenges in many sectors including journalism. Machines have already started compiling and editing reports. What they lack, however, is empathy, which will be the one ingredient that can help journalists beat AI. Journalism based on human values is not going to be extinct ever, she stressed.

Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism was instituted by the Indian Express Group on the birth centenary anniversary of its founder Ramnath Goenka. The award is administered by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation.

The jury to select the winners included Justice BN Srikrishna, former judge at the Supreme Court of India; Prof C Raj Kumar, founding Vice Chancellor, OP Jindal Global University; Prof K G Suresh, former Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication; Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies; and Dr S Y Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner.

The winners were presented with a citation, a trophy, and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

March 21, 2025 - President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the 19th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards at a function held in New Delhi on March 19, 2025. 27 journalists were awarded Ramnath Goenka Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions in print, digital and broadcast journalism across 13 categories in 2023 .

2025 Mridulika Jha of Aaj Tak won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025 for her coverage of the ‘‘Dunki route” adopted by the youths of Haryana to illegally enter the US.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the importance of free and fair journalism for democracy cannot be overestimated. If the citizens are not well-informed, the democratic processes lose their very meaning.

She said that a thriving newsroom full of ideas is essential for the business of news. She highlighted the importance of a research wing to ensure quality and accuracy of news. The President urged media organisations to devote more resources in encouraging the culture of reporting from the ground.

The President said that AI is disrupting the world, creating new opportunities as well as new challenges in many sectors including journalism. Machines have already started compiling and editing reports. What they lack, however, is empathy, which will be the one ingredient that can help journalists beat AI. Journalism based on human values is not going to be extinct ever, she stressed.

Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism was instituted by the Indian Express Group on the birth centenary anniversary of its founder Ramnath Goenka. The award is administered by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation.

The jury to select the winners included Justice BN Srikrishna, former judge at the Supreme Court of India; Prof C Raj Kumar, founding Vice Chancellor, OP Jindal Global University; Prof K G Suresh, former Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication; Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies; and Dr S Y Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner.

The winners were presented with a citation, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.