JNANPITH AWARD

Current Context: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 58^th Jnanpith Award at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and poet‑lyricist Gulzar.

About Jnanpith Award:

• Instituted: 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a cultural trust founded by the Sahu Jain family.
• Purpose: India’s highest literary honour, recognising outstanding contributions by living authors.
• Eligibility: Writers in any of the 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, plus English.
• Selection Process:
  • Language‑specific juries shortlist candidates.
  • Final awardees chosen by a central Selection Board.
  • No posthumous conferrals.

First Awarded: 1965 to G. Sankara Kurup for his Malayalam collection Odakkuzhal

58th Awardees:

• Jagadguru Rambhadracharya
  • Born 1950; lost his eyesight at two months but became a foremost Sanskrit scholar.
  • Authored four Sanskrit epics, including Geet Rāmāyaṇa and Daśāvatāra Carita.
  • Continues to serve literature and society through teaching and social work.
• Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra)
  • Born 1934; acclaimed poet, lyricist, and film director in Hindi cinema.
  • Known for immortal lyrics like “Chaiyya Chaiyya” and deeply philosophical poetry.
  • Could not attend the ceremony; the President conveyed her wishes for his speedy recovery.