Business Standard journalist Somesh Jha on Sunday won the Indian Institute of Mass Communication Alumni Association’s (IIMCAA’s) best business and economic reporter award for the year 2019. An alumnus of IIMC, Jha, who early last year broke the story on India’s unemployment rate being at a 45-year high, was also adjudged the best alumnus of the year.

Chennai-based ponds & lake restoration activist Arun Krishnamurthy received Public Service Award. Other awardees included Priyamvada Rana and Pratyush Deep Kotoky for agricultural reporting. Also, 27 IIMC students received IIMCAA scholarships of Rs 25,000 each.

Awards were given in various categories — 11 in reporting, 12 in desk production, 7 in advertising, PR & communications, and 1 in media research.

The awards were announced at IIMCAA’s annual alumni meet, ‘Connections 2020’, chaired by President Prasad Sanyal and attended by Principal Director General (DG) of Press Information Bureau (PIB) K S Dhatwalia, DD News DG Mayank Agrawal and other media personalities. Noted satirist Surendra Sharma and Sampat Saral also enthralled the audience with their performance at Hasya Kavi Sammelan held during the event.