Kathmandu, July 14: On the occasion of the Bhanu Jayanti on Sunday, July 13, an active journalist from Ilam Sabita Pandey has been honored with Jasuda Smriti Award.

The late Jasuda, a literate and journalist from Ilam, was the managing editor of the People's Review English weekly and Samrachana vernacular weekly published from Kathmandu. She passed away in 2010.

Ilam Municipality Mayor Kedar Thapa handed over a letter of appreciation and a purse to journalist Pandey, appreciating her contribution to the field of journalism.

Deputy Mayor Bishnu Kumari Dahal, historian Juddha Prasad Baidhya, and literary personalities, academicians, among others, were present at the event.

On this occasion, a book written on the personality of 'Sir' Padam Bahadur Devan, the pioneer of Ilam, was also released, and poet Shiva Adhikari was honoured by Nagar Kala, Sahitya Sangeet Pratishthan.

The Jasuda Memorial Award has been dedicated to literary writers and journalists for the past seven years.

The program was coordinated by literate Bimal Baidhya and organized by the Ilam Municipality Arts, Literature and Music Academy, Ilam.

Journalist Pandey started her journalism career with the Nepalvani FM in Ilam 18 years ago.

Pandey is also active in the print media and Online media.

Pandey is presenting radio programs focusing on issues related to women, Dalit and backwards communities.

She has been working as a correspondent for Radio Nepal since 2072 BS. She serves as the executive editor of the online news portal <nigrani.com>.

She has been working as a program producer and presenter at Radio Nepal. In the past, she also worked for the Ilam Express Daily, Hasna Magazine, and Makalu Television.

She conducted research work on Ilam's leading women activists Saraswati Rai, Bishnu Dahal and Jasuda Khaki’s contributions. She was the first female president of the Nepal Press Union (NPU).

For the past seven years, the award, established in memory of noted journalist and literary figure, the late Jasuda Khaki Pradhan, has been distributed to local journalists and literary personalities from Ilam and nearby areas.  The late Jasuda Pradhan, born in Ilam, was the managing editor of the People's Review Weekly and Samrachana vernacular weekly publishing from Kathmandu.

People's News Monitoring Service.