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So we are pretty thrilled. It is PARI’s first award as an organisation and it is the first memorial award commemorating a journalist that we really admire. We have received other awards for individual stories but this is the first we have received as an institution. The award ceremony was held at Constitution Club, New Delhi, on June 23, 2016, Praful Bidwai’s first death anniversary.

Professor Romila Thapar described the work of Praful Bidwai.

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, the editor of Economic and Political Weekly, spoke about the crisis of journalism and how Praful Bidwai had flagged it before many others.

Both Prof. Thapar and Paranjoy spoke of their personal memories of Praful, their friend and colleague. Many of us discovered new dimensions of Praful, who we had known as a great anti-nuclear activist. Romilla Thapar announced the award.

Namita, Siddharth, Binaifer, Sharmila and Aparna received the award on behalf of PARI. PARI’s woman dominated workforce was received well by the audience. Prof. Romilla Thapar read out the citation at the event.

Sainath was invited to speak and we, as a team believe it was one of his finest descriptions of PARI’s vision.

A final shot with Prof. Thapar, with P. Sainath and most of the team present at the event.

And now really the last photo. Namita Waikar holding the award.