Kathmandu: The National Information Commission (NIC) has awarded the ‘Binay Kasaju Outstanding Right to Information Activist Award’ to senior journalist Shiva Gaunle. Gaunle, who previously served as the chair of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), received the accolade from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a ceremony held in the federal capital.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Prime Minister Oli also presented the ‘Banay Kasajoo Best RTI Campaigner Award’ to journalists Arati Chataut, Amrit Nath Nimilsina, and Krishna Paudel. In addition, former Information Commissioner Kiran Kumar Pokharel was honored with a shawl for his significant contributions to the protection and promotion of the Right to Information (RTI) in Nepal.
Furthermore, the event recognized several individuals as the best RTI officers of the year. Bipin Karki from the Manebhanjyang rural municipality office in Okhaldhunga, Yek Narayan Sharma from the Public Service Commission, Damodar Adhikari from Khairahani municipality in Chitwan, Subhadra Pudashaini from Shankharapur municipality in Kathmandu, and Menaka Pandit from Bharatpur municipality in Chitwan were all acknowledged for their exemplary work. The awards were part of the celebrations for the National Information Day, which is observed annually on Bhadra 3.