Guwahati Press Club Announces Fellowships for 10 Journalists on National Press Day

The Guwahati Press Club (GPC) marked National Press Day by announcing one-year fellowships for 10 journalists across key thematic areas, including environment, health, human rights, gender equality and women empowerment, agriculture, books, governance and politics, art and culture, photo and video, and sports.

GPC president Khagen Kalita, addressing the gathering, said the initiative was one of the first decisions taken by the newly formed office-bearers’ committee.

“On the very first meeting of the newly formed Guwahati Press Club committee, we decided to provide one-year fellowships to 10 journalists on 10 different topics. The GPC will provide Rs 50,000 for the fellowship. All arrangements and the terms and conditions will be made public within one month,” Kalita said. He added that the fellowships would be open to all journalists, not just GPC members.

Kalita also mentioned that the press club is working on setting up a corpus fund for journalists. “I have directed the members to coordinate with bank officials and gather the required details,” he said, reaffirming that the GPC would never step back when it comes to safeguarding the rights of journalists.

Earlier in the day, the new GPC committee visited the residence of veteran sports journalist and renowned sports organiser Premadhar Sarma. The club felicitated him at his home. Sarma has been bedridden for an extended period due to age-related health issues.

National Press Day, observed annually on November 16, marks the founding of the Press Council of India in 1966. The number of registered publications in India has seen a sharp rise—growing from 60,143 in 2004–05 to 1.54 lakh in 2024–25.

Laws such as the Working Journalists Act, 1955, along with newer reforms including the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, continue to protect journalist rights and modernise media oversight. The Press Sewa Portal, launched under the PRP Act, has digitised the entire periodical registration process. Within six months, it has onboarded 40,000 publishers and registered 3,000 presses, significantly easing procedures for the publishing industry.

Meanwhile, Assam’s Minister of Information and Public Relations, Pijush Hazarika, extended greetings to media professionals on National Press Day. Highlighting the historic importance of the media in India, he said truthful and accurate journalism strengthens democratic institutions and plays a vital role in nation-building. He urged journalists across the state to uphold the dignity of the profession and continue serving the public with responsibility and commitment.

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