In a moment of pride for India, Nitesh Gill, a dedicated Wikipedia contributor from Punjab, has been recognised with an ‘honorary mention’ as part of the Wikimedian of the Year Awards 2025. The recognition was awarded to Nitesh by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales during the 20th edition of Wikimania, held at Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme “Inclusivity, Impact, Sustainability.” The annual conference celebrates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, and the community of volunteers (Wikimedians) who make it possible.
Nitesh was recognised for her exceptional contributions on the Wikimedia projects, particularly for her work in expanding Punjabi Wikipedia and promoting the representation of women on Wikimedia projects. She was selected from a shortlist of global volunteers based on nominations from fellow Wikimedia volunteers and Wikimedia Foundation staff from across the world.
Nitesh, a PhD scholar in Punjabi Literature, began contributing to Punjabi Wikipedia in 2014 as a student and has since grown into one of the most prolific members of the volunteer community. A decade later, she stands out as the only woman administrator (trusted Wikipedia volunteer with advanced permissions to protect Wikipedia) on Punjabi Wikipedia and a lead member of the Punjabi Wikimedians User Group, which has created over 58,000 articles in the regional language.
“I love my language, and that love motivates me to serve and contribute to it in every possible way,” Nitesh said. “I want to break the myth that speaking your language makes you less intelligent. If you cannot respect your own language, in many ways, you are questioning your own identity.”
She focuses on writing biographies of women.
After completing the #100wikidays challenge, where volunteers create one new Wikipedia article every day for 100 days, she went on to write over 500 articles to ensure Punjabi Wikipedia contains more content on women.
Nitesh also led the She Leads programme that helps empower South Asian women to take on leadership roles within Wikimedia. She also co-developed a Punjabi-translated Oral Culture Transcription Toolkit, partnering with Himachal University to document cultural heritage.
“I am proud of the work I have done for the Punjabi language, especially in creating content about women’s personalities and women-related topics. Today, Punjabi Wikipedia has more content about women than any other gender, and I feel proud to have helped bridge that gap, which is an issue in the wider knowledge landscape,” she added.
The Tribune