Roasted almonds, biscuits & tea for gang of five

The prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, with the five newspaper editors he met for an interaction in New Delhi yesterday. Seated from left, clockwise, are the national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, Divya Marathi editor Kumar Ketkar, Nayi Duniya editor Alok Mehta, the PM’s media advisor Harish Khare, The Tribune editor Raj Chengappa, PTI editor M.K. Razdan, Business Standard director and the president of the editors guild of India, T.N. Ninan, and PM’s secretary T.K.A. Nair.

Photographs: courtesy Press Trust of India

Also read: The preliminary transcript; The PM’s opening remarks

POLL: Is the PM right about the Indian media?

Third highest civilian honour for Shekhar Gupta

Only one full-time, working journalist has found a place in India’s Republic Day honours list for 2009. Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief of The Indian Express and host of NDTV’s interview programme Walk the Talk, has been decorated with the nation’s third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan. Two others, veteran broadcaster Ameen Sayani and Nai Dunia chairman Abhay Chhajlani, have been awarded the Padma Shri.

Update: Alok Mehta, the editor-in-chief of Nai Duniya‘s Hindi edition, and former editor of Outlook Saptahik, too has bagged a Padma Shri.

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Last year, three television journalists, Vinod Dua, Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt, had been included in the list.

Photograph: courtesy Newsweek

Also read: Why Rajdeep, Barkha must decline Padma Shri

To: all employees. From: The editor-in-chief