The North News
Chandigarh, November
Assistant Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express and a regular member of the Chandigarh Press Club, Nitin Sharma, has won the 15th Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity 2025. The award, supported by the United Nations Population Fund, recognised his story titled “Taunted for her features as a child, Deepthi Jeevanji, backed by Gopichand, strikes gold at World Athletics Para Championship.”
His report traces the journey of para athlete Deepthi Jeevanji, from Kalleda in Andhra Pradesh’s Warangal district, who overcame social stigma and an intellectual disability affecting communication and adaptive skills to become a world champion. The award ceremony took place in Mumbai on Wednesday. This marks Sharma’s third consecutive Laadli Media Award, following wins in 2023 and 2024. Organisers said they received 715 entries this year, with 63 journalists winning awards and 33 receiving jury appreciation citations.
Laadli Media Advocacy, run by Population First — a social impact organisation working on health, gender and social development — aims to promote gender-sensitive media practices and challenge entrenched misogyny and patriarchal attitudes in society.
