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MUMBAI: Transparency International India is pleased to announce
the first ever M.S. Oberoi Gold Awards for excellence in exposing
the corruption through the media to Mr. Varghese K. George of the
Indian Express and Mr. Rohit Khanna of Sit, CNN-IBN.
The Silver Awards are shared by Mr. M.L. Narsimha Reddy of the
Telugu Daily Eenadu and Mr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap of the Indian
Express in the Print category and by Mr. Saurabh Shukla of Aaj Tak
and Mr. Sidhartha Gautam of SIT, CNN-IBN in the Electronic category.
Transparency International India, an International Non Government
Organization committed to combating corruption with support from
the Oberoi Group has instituted these Journalism Awards aimed at
recognizing and rewarding journalists for outstanding stories exposing
corruption in India.
The jury comprised of personalities from the fields of journalism,
law, industry: Mr. B. G. Verghese, Mr. Harsh Mander, Justice Leila
Seth, Mr. Vinod K. Bakshi and Mr. Arun Duggal.
Speaking on behalf of the Jury, Mr. B.G. Verghese, Chairperson,
said, “While shortlisting the entries and selecting the winners,
the jury has given weightage to stories that have direct and significant
effect on development, progress, human rights violation or public
interest.
Also the impact and significance of such disclosures and the risks
and challenges countered by the journalist in breaking the story
were among the factors taken into consideration in making the final
decision.”
The Gold Award carries a cash prize of Rs. 2 Lakhs, a medallion
and citation and the Silver Award carries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000,
a medallion and citation.
Announcing the awards, Admiral Tahiliani (Retd.), Chairman of Transparency
International India said, “These Awards epitomize integrity,
determination and excellence, which undoubtedly are a fitting tribute
to Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, whose life was an illustration
of these principles”.
He added, “Transparency International aims to increase the
level of accountability and transparency of government institutions,
elected representatives and the government.
In a democratic society all citizens need to take a stand against
corruption and must therefore be well informed. The electronic and
print media have played a vital role in generating awareness through
their reach”.
Explaining the rationale for the awards Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi, Chairman,
The Oberoi Group said, “Journalists, who often at substantial
personal risk, investigate and expose corrupt practices deserve
applause, recognition and encouragement.
The Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi Media Awards are an effort to demonstrate
our admiration for these compelling tales of courage, character
and integrity. I would like to congratulate the winners for their
exemplary zeal, which if relentlessly pursued by all of us, has
the potential of making India a better place to live in and do business
with”.
The presentations will be made on January 11, 2007 in New Delhi.
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