Shekhar Gupta
{{short description|Indian journalist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Shekhar Gupta
| image = Sgindia.jpg
| caption = Gupta at the 2009 World Economic Forum
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1957|08|26}}
| birth_place = Palwal, India
| nationality = Indian
| known_for = {{ubl|Hosting Walk the Talk|National Interest|Cut the Clutter|Off the Cuff ThePrint}}
| occupation = Journalist
| spouse = Neelam Jolly
| title = Founder & Editor-in-Chief of ThePrint
| alma_mater = Panjab University
| awards = Padma Bhushan (2009)
}}
Shekhar Gupta (born 26 August 1957) is an Indian journalist and author.{{Cite web|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/shekhar-gupta-capital-reporter|title=How profit and principle shaped the journalism of Shekhar Gupta|last=Kaushik|first=Krishn|date=December 2014|website=The Caravan|language=en|access-date=2019-12-30}} He is the founder and the current editor-in-chief of ThePrint.{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/about-us/|title=About-The Print}}{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/national-interest/to-understand-modis-new-kashmir-reality-these-5-liberal-myths-need-to-be-broken/278220/|title=To understand Modi's new Kashmir reality, these 5 liberal myths need to be broken|date=17 August 2019}} He is also a columnist for the Business Standard and pens a weekly column which appears every Saturday.{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/shekhar-gupta-in-mulk-indian-muslims-look-you-in-the-eye-118081100019_1.html|title=Shekhar Gupta: In Mulk, Indian Muslims look you in the eye|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=11 August 2018|last1=Gupta|first1=Shekhar}}
He has had long stints at The Indian Express and India Today. Gupta writes a weekly column called "National Interest" for India Today magazine. His "National Interest" columns for The Indian Express were collected in his 2014 book Anticipating India. He also hosted an interview-based television show Walk the Talk on NDTV 24x7. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009 by the Government of India for his contribution to journalism and was elected President of the Editor's Guild of India in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/shekhar-gupta-elected-new-president-of-editors-guild-of-india-1212211-2018-04-14|title=Shekhar Gupta Elected New President of Editor's Guild of India|publisher=India Today}}
Early life and career
Shekhar Gupta initially studied for three years (1962–1965) in Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Palwal, then in Punjab.{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/confessions-of-a-shakhahari/295285|title=Confessions Of A Shakhahari|website=www.OutlookIndia.com/|access-date=6 April 2019}} He completed his Bachelor of Journalism degree at Panjab University (1975–1976).
He started his career as a journalist working for The Indian Express in 1977. He worked there for 6 years and then resigned to join India Today where he covered Operation Bluestar, the Nellie Massacre in Assam and the Gulf War in 1991. He then rejoined The Indian Express as editor-in-chief and CEO, where he worked for 19 years from 1996 to 2015. He also hosted the show, "Walk The Talk with Shekhar Gupta" for NDTV for 15 years in which he talked to over 600 guests.{{cite web |title=Shekhar Gupta's 'Walk The Talk' now in print |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2017/sep/15/shekhar-guptas-walk-the-talk-now-in-print-1657719.html |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=21 September 2020 |date=15 September 2017}} He resigned from Indian Express in 2014 and joined India Today for a brief period of 2 months.{{cite web |last1=Venkataramakrishnan |first1=Rohan |title=Shekhar Gupta quits as India Today Group editor-in-chief after two months |url=https://scroll.in/article/677005/shekhar-gupta-quits-as-india-today-group-editor-in-chief-after-two-months |website=Scroll.in |date=1 September 2014}}
Currently he is the editor-in-chief and founder of ThePrint, which was launched in August 2017. Gupta has stated that the mission for ThePrint is to be "factual and liberal".{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/letter-editor-chief/|title=Letter from the Editor-in-Chief}}
Awards and honours
Shekhar Gupta has received assorted awards: the 1985 Inlaks award for young journalist of the year,{{cite web|url=http://www.inlaksfoundation.org/Alumni.aspx?sort%3Dold%26Type%3DS |access-date=11 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829034147/http://www.inlaksfoundation.org/Alumni.aspx?sort=old&Type=S | title=Alumni | publisher=Inlaks Foundation | archive-date=29 August 2012 }} G. K. Reddy Award for Journalism,{{cite news| title = National events in March 1997 | url=http://www.hindu.com/revents/01/19970103.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031006073020/http://www.thehindu.com:80/revents/01/19970103.htm |archive-date=2003-10-06 | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu}} and the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration.{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200810192070.htm | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed awards for Shekhar Gupta, Shabana Azmi | date=19 October 2008}} He was awarded Padma Bhushan by the then Indian Government in 2009 for his contribution to journalism.{{cite news |title= Madhavan Nair, Abhinav Bhindra receive Padma awards|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/15/stories/2009041557342200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416224021/http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/15/stories/2009041557342200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-04-16|work=The Hindu |date=2009-04-15 |access-date=31 March 2008 |location=Chennai, India}} Gupta was furthermore awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Thapar University (Patiala, India) in 2013.[https://www.thapar.edu/images/naac2018/Annual%20Report%202013-14.pdf The 28th Annual Report 2013 – 2014] - website of the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
Under his leadership, The Indian Express won the Vienna-based International Press Institute's Award for Outstanding Journalism in the Public Interest thrice: The first time for its coverage of the Gujarat riots of 2002, the second time for uncovering the Bihar flood relief scam in 2009 and the third time for its sustained investigation into the Malegaon and Modasa blasts of 2008 and the alleged role of extremists and organisations.{{Cite web | url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/for-tracking-malegaon-blast-plot-express-gets-ipi-excellence-award/594406/ |title = For tracking Malegaon blast plot, Express gets IPI Excellence award - Indian Express}}
Controversies
{{Further|2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal}}
In April 2019, Shekhar Gupta was one of the three journalists mentioned in the supplementary charge-sheet of AgustaWestland chopper deal scam.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsnation.in/india-news/agustawestland-case-christian-michel-hired-media-advisor-to-influence-public-opinion-chargesheet-mentions-3-journalists-article-219519.html|title=AgustaWestland: Michel hired advisor to 'influence' public opinion, chargesheet mentions 3 journalists- News Nation|date=5 April 2019|website=www.NewsNation.in|access-date=6 April 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/hot-news/agustawestland-chargesheet-mentions-three-journalists|title=AgustaWestland chargesheet mentions three journalists|date=5 April 2019|website=The Quint|access-date=6 April 2019}} Enforcement Directorate alleged that the main accused Christian Michel accepted that he through a middlemen paid Shekhar Gupta to "tone down" an article related to the deal in The Indian Express. The chargesheet of ED was leaked to the media in April 2019 just few days before the national elections. Delhi High court sent a notice to ED about the leaks.{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/agustawestland-chargesheet-mentions-three-journalists-119040500027_1.html|title=AgustaWestland chargesheet mentions three journalists|last=IANS|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=5 April 2019|access-date=6 April 2019|via=Business Standard}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/agustawestland-vvip-chopper-deal-agusta-accused-christian-michel-named-ahmed-patel-says-probe-agency-2018380|title="Didn't Name Anyone": Christian Michel In Court As Chargesheet Names Ahmed Patel|website=NDTV.com|access-date=6 April 2019}}
It was Shekhar Gupta and Manu Pubby from Indian Express who brought this AgustaWestland scam into the public domain and the deal was cancelled by then UPA government after Indian Express exposed the scam.{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/express-exposed-michel-tyagi-note-with-initials-mentioned-in-chargesheet-agustawestland-vvip-chopper-enforcement-directorate-5659474/|title=Indian Express exposed Michel, Tyagi, note with initials; mentioned in chargesheet|date=6 April 2019|website=IndianExpress.com|access-date=6 April 2019}}
Bibliography
{{Incomplete list|date=May 2015}}
=Books=
- {{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |title=Assam : a valley divided |location=New Delhi |publisher=Vikas |year=1984}}
- {{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |author-mask=1 |title=India redefines its role |url=https://archive.org/details/indiaredefinesit0000gupt |url-access=registration |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press for the International Institute for Strategic Studies |year=1995 |series=IISS Adelphi Paper Series 293}}
- {{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |author-mask=1 |title=Anticipating India : the best of National Interest |location=New Delhi |publisher=Express Group |year=2014}}
- {{cite book |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |author-mask=1 |title=Walk the talk : decoding politicians |location=New Delhi |publisher=Rupa Publications |year=2018}}
=Essays and reporting=
- {{cite journal |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |date=6 October 2014 |title=Making sense of Xi slap |department=National Interest |journal=India Today |volume=39 |issue=40 |pages=20–21 }}
- {{cite journal |last=Gupta |first=Shekhar |date=2 October 2015 |title=Main-streaming The Lynch-Fringe |department=National Interest |journal=Business Standard }}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
{{commons category|Shekhar Gupta}}
- {{Twitter|ShekharGupta}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Shekhar}}
Category:Indian male television journalists
Category:Indian newspaper editors
Category:Indian television presenters
Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education
Category:Panjab University alumni
Category:20th-century Indian journalists
Category:Indian political writers
Category:Indian male journalists
Category:Indian male essayists