Kathmandu, Sept. 22: The Press Council Nepal (PCN) has awarded various journalists for their contribution to the advancement of journalism in the country. President Bidya Devi Bhandari presented the awards to the award recipient journalists amid a function here on Wednesday on the occasion of the Council's 52nd anniversary.

Senior journalist Bharat Dutta Koirala has won 'Press Council Gopal Das Journalism Award'. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 151,000. Similarly, senior journalist Badri Binod Khanal (Pratik) has been awarded 'Press Council Surendra Bahadur Basnet Journalism Award'. The prize carries a purse of Rs 110,000.

Likewise, Ujjwal Sharma (Himalaya Times Daily) has bagged 'Press Council Code of Conduct Journalism Award' and Bimal Gautam and Durga Lal KC 'Press Council Resilient Media-Persons Award'.

Lok Bahadur Chaudhary has been awarded 'Press Council Language Journalism Award' while Basudev Sharma, Madhav Nepal, Bindu Kanta Ghimire, Gobinda Prasad Chaulagain, Ramananda Gupta, Sushil Aryal and Ramesh Dhungel 'Press Council Active Journalism Award'. Strong

Those who have won 'Press Council Youth Journalism Award' are Ghana Shyam Khadka, Urbashi Basnet Neupane, LP Devkota, Jiban Sejuwal, Megha Raj Khadka, Krishna Chandra Lamichhane, Debendra Basnet, Dev Chandra Bhatta, Chuda Mani Limbu, Chandra Kala Chhetri (Bhagawati Thapa), Shiva Kumar Rijal, Ramesh Khatiwada, Jagannath Dulal and Tirtha Jaisi.

Purushottam Khanal has bagged 'Press Council Literary Journalism Award' while Jamuna Barsha Sharma, Rupa Gahatraj and Anju Karki won the 'Press Council Women Empowerment Journalism Award'.

'Press Council Inclusive Journalism Award' went to Rohit Rai, Ananta Anurag Mahato and Karan Tamrakar. Similarly, Mahendra Raj Singh and Kushal Aryal have won 'Press Council Year Employee Award' and Madan Krishna Silwal and Rajan Singh 'Press Council Employee Encouragement Award'.

Present on the award handing ceremony were Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Baikuntha Aryal and the PCN Chairperson Bal Krishna Basnet among others.