Press Club of India has its first woman president in Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty

New Delhi: The Press Club of India (PCI) has elected its first woman president in Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty. The PCI described her election as a historic milestone in the club’s journey toward greater gender representation and inclusive leadership.

Pisharoty’s team swept all office-bearers and managing committee positions, scoring an emphatic 21-0, in the elections held on December 13.

“The election reflects the collective confidence of the Press Club of India members in our panel’s
vision and long-standing commitment to upholding the values of free, fair, and responsible
journalism,” Pisharoty said after the announcement of the result.

Pisharoty won decisively, securing 1,019 votes, while her rivals Atul Mishra and Arun Sharma
received 129 and 89 votes, respectively. For the Secretary-General’s post, Afzal Imam secured 948
votes, comfortably defeating Gyan Prakash, who polled 290 votes.

Jatin Gandhi emerged victorious as the vice-president candidate polling 1,029 votes, defeating the
next rival Prahlad Singh Rajput by a margin of over 900 votes.
Aditi Rajput (Treasurer) and PR Sunil (Joint Secretary) were elected unopposed.

In the elections for the 16-member Managing Committee, Niraj Kumar topped the list with 932
votes, followed by Abhishek Kumar Singh (911), Jahanvi Sen (903), Ashok Kaushik (892), Kallol
Bhattacharjee (882), Praveen Jain (878), Agraj Pratap Singh (865), Manoj Sharma (861), Nyanima
Basu (851), PB Suresh (838), VP Pandey (833), Prem Bahukhandi (831), Sneha Bhura (829), Javed
Akhtar (823), Rezaul Hasan Laskar (781), and Sunil Kumar (780).

The outgoing President, Gautam Lahiri expressed gratitude to the members of the Press Club of
India for their trust and support. He asserted that the new team will continue to make the Club more
inclusive, responsive, and relevant to the evolving challenges faced by journalists today in India.

“The Press Club of India has, since its inception, served as a vital institution for journalists from
across the country and abroad. The election of its first woman President stands as a powerful
symbol of progress and a reaffirmation of the Club’s dedication to equality, diversity, and
democratic values,” the outgoing secretary-general of the PCI, Neeraj Thakur said.

—–INDIA NEWS STREAM