Senior Journalist Taranath Dahal Honoured with Binaya Kasajoo Outstanding Information Campaigner Award

Senior journalist and longtime Right to Information (RTI) advocate Taranath Dahal has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Binaya Kasajoo Outstanding Information Campaigner Award’ in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting and advancing RTI in Nepal.

The award was presented by President Ramchandra Paudel during a special ceremony at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, held to mark the 18th anniversary of the National Information Commission (NIC). Along with a letter of appreciation, Dahal received a cash prize of Rs 55,000.

Dahal, who had previously received the ‘Senior Campaigner’ recognition from the NIC 11 years ago, noted that the implementation of the RTI Act in Nepal still remains unsatisfactory. He emphasized that RTI is essential for development and good governance and must be implemented more effectively. “The guarantee of the right to information is a foundational element of democracy,” he added, urging all stakeholders to remain committed to its advancement.

At the same event, several others were recognized for their contributions to information access and transparency.

Deepak Rijal, Executive Editor of Nepal Samacharpatra; Gajendra Budhathoki, Editor-in-Chief of Taksar magazine; and photojournalists Kabita Thapa and Hariram Konda from Gorkhapatra daily received the ‘Best Information Campaigner’ award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 30,000 and a certificate of appreciation.

The ‘Best Information Officer’ award, also carrying a cash prize of Rs 30,000, was presented to Devi Prasad Thapaliya, Keshav Silwal, Padam Kumar Shrestha, Hemanta Kumar Budhathoki, and Buddhiram Neupane.

Additionally, Santosh Dahal, Sudarshan Dhakal, Dinesh Luitel, Ranjana Dahal, Sitaram Basnet, and Miley Tamang were honoured as the best employees for their roles in supporting information transparency.