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TV18, NDTV sweep largest tally of Ramnath Goenka Awards
NEW DELHI: The exposure of the 2G Spectrum scam, which has rocked the nation for the past two years, is largely due to the efforts of some journalists who refused to bow before authority and persistently continued their investigations.
J Gopikrishnan, Special Correspondent of ‘The Pioneer’ has received the Ramnath Goenka Journalist of the Year award for his investigative series on the scam that brought the irregularities to light, and his meticulous follow-ups that ensured the story stayed on the front burner.
CNBC-TV18 managing editor Udayan Mukherjee won this award in the broadcast sector for his insightful interpretation of the market and its movements as lead anchor, and his coverage of the 2008 financial crisis in India.
The awards were given away by Vice President M Hamid Ansari at a function in the capital.
The TV18 group – CNN-IBN, CNBC-TV18, and IBN Lokmat – and NDTV won as many as five awards each. In the print media, the Indian Express won four awards while the Mint and Business Today won two each
About 30 other journalists in print and the electronic media from all over the country received the RNG Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Arijit Sen, CNN-IBN, received it for reporting from Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast for reports on fake encounters in Manipur and the plight of a people caught between militants and the state. Hridayesh Joshi, NDTV India, was awarded for series tracing influence of India on Chinese culture and profiling successful Indians in China.
The award to Prakash Noolvi of TV9 was given for an investigative story on the continuing Devdasi tradition in a region in Karnataka.
For Environmental Reporting, Arti Kulkarni of IBN Lokmat was awarded for a report on illegal mining in a tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
The award for Uncovering India Invisible went to Shikha Trivedy of NDTV 24×7 for a story on women who joined the Naxal movement.
Shaili Chopra of ET NOW received the award for Business and Economic Journalism for reports on the economic crisis and candid interviews with key players.
Anubha Bhonsle of CNN-IBN with the show ‘Paisa Power Politics’ exposing the relationship between those who fight elections and those who fund it received the award for reporting on Politics and Government.
Maya Mirchandani of NDTV 24×7 got the award for her interview with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his constituency and for her report on the PM’s meeting with Pakistani President Asif Zardari in Russia.
In Sports Journalism, the award went to Anjali Doshi of NDTV 24×7 for giving a peep into what cricketers do on tours when they are not playing.
Archana Sharma of Lok Sabha TV won the award for her programme ‘Honslon ki Udaan’ for her story on visual effects in Bollywood and how the industry is growing.
Preeti Singh of CNN-IBN got the On-the-Spot Reporting award for her coverage of the floods in Andhra Pradesh, while the Investigative Reporting award went to Rajat Kain of NDTV India for exposing a flourishing gun culture in the heart of Delhi.
In the print medium awards, the award for Reporting from J&K and the Northeast went to Teresa Rehman of Tehelka for her story on a chilling shootout in Imphal.
Anshuman Tiwari of Dainik Jagran won the award for highlighting how Delhi was not ready for the Commonwealth Games.
V P Rejeena of Madhyamam Daily received the award for showing how a village in Kerala has become a city’s dumping ground, while the award for Environmental Reporting went to
Rahul Chandawarkar of DNA for reporting the environmental degradation in hill stations of Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani.
Samanth Subramanian of Mint was awarded for the series ‘Unholy Waters’, chronicling the decline of Ganga as it flows through Varanasi, while the award for Uncovering India Invisible went to Maitreyee Handique of the same newspaper for exposing how industries continue to flout safety regulations.
Puja Mehra of Business Today got the Business and Economic Journalism award for her story on how a dip in confidence was causing Indian consumers to spend less, while Saumya Bhattacharya of the same publication got it for her story on how employees and employers were coping with layoffs.
For Reporting on Politics and Government, the award went to Maneesh Chhibber of The Indian Express for breaking the Liberhan Commission report on the demolition of the Babri Masjid and his coverage of the Law Ministry.
Sujith Nair of Malayala Manorama got the award for his story on an official gag order on the media that forced the V S Achuthanandan government to backtrack.
In Sports Journalism, the award went to G S Vivek of The Indian Express for his coverage of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
In film and television Journalism, senior critic Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express was awarded for her incisive reports on the world of films and for her comprehensive and witty film reviews.
Sonal Kalra of HT City received the honour for a series featuring the five most powerful Bollywood couples in their homes.
Muzamil Jaleel of The Indian Express got the On-the-Spot Reporting award for his coverage of the last days of the Lankan government’s war against the LTTE; while The Indian Express Team won the Investigative Reporting award for a 12-part series that investigated the glaring gaps in the response to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
James Astill of The Economist won the Foreign Correspondent Covering India award for his perceptive and prescient reporting and commentary on India: from its water politics to the Maoist insurgency.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
