The 20th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards for the year 2024 honored 24 journalists for outstanding work across print, digital, and broadcast platforms, recognizing excellence in 19 categories, including investigative reporting, politics, sports, and regional journalism.
The awards, instituted by the Ramnath Goenka Foundation, were presented at an event in New Delhi on 28 March 2026. The jury for the 20th edition of the awards included included justice B N Srikrishna, former judge at the Supreme Court; C Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor, OP Jindal Global University; K G Suresh, director of India Habitat Centre, former vice chancellor, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism & Communication and former director general, Indian Institute of Mass Communication; Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and co-founder & director, EkStep; and Dr S Y Quraishi, former chief election commissioner.
Full list of awardees here.
Vice president C P Radhakrishnan, who attended as chief guest, emphasized the importance of healthy debate in a democracy. He said that “discussion, debate and even dissent” should ultimately contribute to decisions made in the national interest, rather than lead to disruption.
He highlighted that meaningful policymaking emerges from the exchange of ideas and respect for differing viewpoints. According to him, such engagement strengthens democratic legitimacy and leads to more refined decisions.
Radhakrishnan also paid tribute to Ramnath Goenka’s legacy, recalling the iconic blank editorial published during the Emergency as a symbol of journalistic courage. He said the awards continue to uphold that spirit of fearless reporting.
Referring to the government’s achievements, the Vice President noted that lifting 25 crore people out of poverty remains a key milestone, while stressing that development must remain inclusive. He also pointed out the ongoing challenge of shedding colonial-era mindsets.
Viveck Goenka, chairman of The Indian Express Group, spoke about the evolving role of journalism. He said future journalists must adapt to multiple formats while remaining deeply connected to audiences across platforms and languages.
Chief editor Raj Kamal Jha underlined that journalism’s core mission remains unchanged — to uncover stories that those in power may wish to hide. He stressed that credibility comes from earning readers’ trust, not external validation.
The event celebrated not just individual achievements, but the enduring role of journalism in informing citizens and strengthening democracy.
