The Statesman to present Rural Reporting, CR Irani Environmental Awards in Kolkata
Kolkata, Sep 16 (UNI) The Statesman will present its annual awards recognising excellence in rural and environmental journalism at a ceremony here on Wednesday, with West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul as the chief guest.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Kala Mandir in Kolkata and is expected to bring together journalists, media professionals, and senior members of the journalism fraternity to discuss the role of media in highlighting issues concerning rural communities and the environment.
Instituted in the 1970s, 'The Statesman Awards for Rural Reporting' recognise developmental and investigative journalism on rural India published during 2025 in newspapers, periodicals and websites. The awards carry cash prizes of Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000, and Rs 10,000 for the top three entries. Journalists from across India were invited to submit original investigative articles and reports on rural issues, either in English or regional languages, with or without English translations.
The entries were assessed on parameters including social relevance, factual accuracy, professional dedication, and quality of writing. The panel of distinguished journalists and media professionals associated with the awards includes Mukund Padmanabhan, R Rajagopal, Sidharth Bhatia, and Krishna Prasad. The panel is also expected to deliberate on issues related to journalism, media, rural reporting and environmental reporting.
The CR Irani Foundation's Environmental Reporting Award will also be presented at the ceremony. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000 and recognises investigative journalism on environmental issues published in Indian newspapers or periodicals during 2025. Entries for the environmental reporting award were evaluated on content, accuracy, depth of research, and overall journalistic quality. Journalists were required to submit original clippings of their published reports, clearly marking each entry as "Environmental Reporting".
The deadline for submission of entries for the awards was August 20, 2026. Through the awards, The Statesman and the CR Irani Foundation seek to recognise and encourage journalism that draws attention to critical social, economic and environmental issues, particularly those affecting rural communities. The ceremony will be held at Kala Mandir.
