- No application/entry fees is required for an applicant to submit
an entry for the Awards.
- The Awards are open to any applicant who has completed 18 years
of age or above.
- The entry can be made either as a single entry, a joint entry, a
three-participant entry, or a team entry where the byline is
shared by more than three participants. The entry must be the
original work of the applicant.
- The Awards categories and criteria are specified at
www.rngfoundation.com/awards.
- Only news reports and articles published between January 1,
2025, to December 31, 2025 (both days inclusive), qualify for
entry for the Awards.
- The prize money for each category is ₹ 1,00,000/- (Rupees One
Lac only) which will be given in the form of demand draft only.
If prize is awarded to more than one person, the prize money
will be shared between them equally. If prize is awarded to a
team, the prize money is given in name of the organization.
- Each entry shall be made and completed in the manner and with
the forms, disclosures and enclosures specified herein.
- Each entry must originate from a media house, wire service,
syndicate, news organization, or television outlet affiliated
with an Indian entity. This criterion does not apply to entries
for the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for
Foreign Correspondent covering India.
- A completed entry with required enclosures should be submitted
to the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation, at Express Building,
B-1/B, Sector-10, Ramnath Goenka Marg, Noida-201 301, Uttar
Pradesh latest by June 15, 2026. The Awards are conducted by
Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation (“RNGMF”) and The Indian
Express (P) Limited ("TIEPL"). RNGMF, TIEPL and the Judge[s]
shall not be responsible for delays in receipt of any entry.
- The entry form should be completed and secured to the front of
the entry, along with a clear copy of the same and enclosures.
Each entry must have an entry form (in duplicate) attached, the
duplicate can be a photocopy of the original completed entry
form. To be enclosed : A) Print/ digital - submit/upload two
originals of the news report, articles, or feature stories; B)
Broadcast/digital -submit two Pen drive/ Google drive link (All
the shared google drive links should be active and accessible
without any restrictions) in MPEG/MP4 format/upload video files
along with script/s; C) Books - submit two physical copies of
the book to Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation. The entry form
can also be downloaded from the website,
www.rngfoundation.com/awards.
- The original articles/news reports/program submitted of the
publication/coverage must indicate the date of publication or
broadcast.
- Full disclosure is required; if there has been any challenge to
the veracity, accuracy, fairness, &/or authenticity and/or any
objection whatsoever not limited to significant omission, or
breach of journalists’ Code of Ethics, or allegation of
infringement, fabrication, plagiarism, or staleness for entry
(or against any Applicant thereof) such as published letters,
corrections, clarifications, retractions, regrets, apology,
removal etc the same need to be disclosed and copy thereof to be
included.
- The entry must disclose if the news report/article/program or
Applicant is subject to any legal notice, legal challenge or
proceedings, prosecution or statutory proceedings, and status
thereof (threatened/pending/settled). If after submission, the
news report/article/program is subject to any legal notice or
legal challenge or statutory proceedings, or the Applicant
believes or has reason to believe and/or learns that there is
any infirmity in the veracity, originality and/or otherwise of
the entry, he/she must immediately inform TIEPL in writing. The
Judge[s], RNGMF, &/or TIEPL may require the Applicant to furnish
additional information/explanation/ material in such cases or
disqualify the entry at their sole discretion.
- A series must be designated as such by the publication when it
is printed. A regular column may also be submitted as a series.
Fiction will not be considered.
- Each Applicant (whether by himself / herself or with others)
can enter up to two entries per category only.
- An English translation must be submitted for any entry in
Hindi/ regional language.
- Each entry in the Feature Writing category should accompany a
letter from the editor certifying that the work entered was
original and not rewritten.
- A recommendation letter of nomination should be submitted,
signed by a person senior to the Applicant, employed by the same
organization where the original articles/news reports/program
was originally published/broadcast, and included with the entry
form. The letter shall certify that the Applicant is personally
and professionally known to the person, and it certifies that
the Applicant has adhered to the journalists’ code of ethics and
he /she is not aware of any information or circumstances where
the Applicant’s reputation, integrity and professionalism as a
journalist has been called into question or otherwise impeached.
The letter format can be downloaded from the website,
www.rngfoundation.com/awards.
- The entry form and enclosures if incomplete, will be
automatically invalidated and disqualified.
- If more than the permitted numbers of entries are submitted,
entries will be considered in chronological order of receipt;
the additional entries will be ignored.
- Each Applicant will be deemed to have read and understood these
rules and regulations when he or she has signed the entry form.
Each Applicant undertakes to conduct himself /herself with
propriety, decorum and civility.
- RNGMF, and TIEPL shall have full right and license to announce
in any language, medium, and territory, the prize winners and in
pursuance thereof or otherwise to cover the Ramnath Goenka
Excellence in Journalism Awards, to publish the content of the
material (entry) or synopsis thereof and/or biography sketch
with or without the photograph of the Applicant and with or
without the name of the organization, which have been submitted
- The material and entry form once submitted shall become the
property of TIEPL and shall not be returned.
- The physical application forms that are torn, ripped, and/or
mutilated will not be accepted.
- The decision of TIEPL in the matter of eligibility, conduct of
these Awards, selection, announcement of winners etc shall be
final and binding no correspondence of whatsoever nature will be
entertained by TIEPL in this regard.
- The names of the winners and the prizes will be announced by
TIEPL. The date of publication of the results and the place for
distribution of the prizes will be at the sole discretion of
TIEPL.
- TIEPL reserves the right to suspend, cancel, and/or modify the
rules and regulations for these Awards at any time and without
prior notice.
- TIEPL reserves the right to return or cancel any submission /
entry at any stage without assigning reasons.
- In the event that there is any challenge or doubt as to the
integrity, veracity, genuineness, authenticity, fairness or
otherwise of any entry or Applicant or any instance of his/her
having violating the journalists’ Code of Ethics, TIEPL and the
Judges may in their sole discretion, withdraw his /her
submission at any stage, not limited to withdrawal or
cancellation of declaration of winner (s). The decision of the
Judge[s] and TIEPL will be final.
- If an Applicant is declared a winner in any category, he/she
shall make best efforts to attend and participate in the Awards
ceremony.
- No claim of whatsoever nature shall be entertained if the
winner[s] fails[s] to collect the Prize[s] at the Awards
ceremony and/or venue specified by TIEPL. No cash shall be
payable in lieu of the prize.
- The Courts of New Delhi shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
- Date of Submission: 15th June, 2026
Instructions for Offline submission
- All the information must be duly filled in the entry form.
- A print out of the duly filled form must be taken and signed on
both sides before sending the final entry.
- For 'Mandatory Requirement', please ensure you submit typed
material only along with the Entry Form.
- A recommendation letter of nomination should be submitted,
signed by a person senior to the Applicant, employed by the same
organization where the original articles/news reports/program
was originally published/broadcast, and included with the entry
form. The letter shall certify that the Applicant is personally
and professionally known to the person, and it certifies that
the Applicant has adhered to the journalists’ code of ethics and
he /she is not aware of any information or circumstances where
the Applicant’s reputation, integrity and professionalism as a
journalist has been called into question or otherwise impeached.
The letter format can be downloaded from the website,
www.rngfoundation.com/awards
- Entry form should be properly filled in, duly signed and
submitted along with a recent passport size photograph &
'Mandatory Requirement' either in person or sent by post/courier
on the following address:
Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation,
Indian Express Building, B-1/B,
Sector-10, Ramnath Goenka Marg,
Noida-201 301, Uttar Pradesh
Instructions for Online submission
- The applicant's image that is to be uploaded should not be less
than 500KB and more than 2MB
- The uploaded articles should be clear enough and readable.
- In case of the website link or google drive link is being shared
it should be an active and accessible without any restrictions.
- A recommendation letter of nomination should be submitted,
signed by a person senior to the Applicant, employed by the same
organization, and included with the entry form. The sponsoring
letter shall certify that the Applicant is personally and
professionally known to the Sponsor, and the Sponsor certifies
that the Applicant has adhered to the journalists’ code of
ethics and he /she is not aware of any information or
circumstances where the Applicant’s reputation, integrity and
professionalism as a journalist has been called into question or
otherwise impeached.
- If the applicant saves the application form for later and is
unable to fill the form within the time limit then their form
will be rejected automatically.
- Those who are applying for the Books (Non-Fiction) category must
send 2 physical copies of the book to the RNG Foundation either
in person or sent by post/courier on the following address:
Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation,
Indian Express Building, B-1/B,
Sector-10, Ramnath Goenka Marg,
Noida-201 301, Uttar Pradesh