'We now have younger reporters in the paper,' Joshi said.

Besides developing their literacy skills and honing their reporting abilities, the women reporters are trained to talk to public figures, gather information and sharpen editing skills.

The coverage of Khabar Lahriya includes politics, crime, social issues and entertainment for a readership that spans 400 villages in both Chitrakoot and Banda districts of India's most populous state.

In 1989, the Unesco's King Sejong Literacy Prize was instituted by South Korea. It is named after Sejong the Great of the 14th century who created the Korean alphabet Hangul and is remembered for his contribution to education in the areas of science, technology and literature. Each winner is awarded $20,000.

Nirantar was one of the four winners of the award.