Bengaluru: In a grand recognition of contributions across diverse fields, 70 achievers from Karnataka have been honoured with the 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, the state's second-highest civilian honour. The recipients include 'Kannada Prabha' Executive Editor Amshi Prasanna Kumar, actor Prakash Rai, senior writer Rahamat Tarikere, and Prof. Rajendra Chenni, among others.

Each awardee will receive a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, a 25-gram gold medal (22 carat), a Bhuvaneshwari idol, and a certificate of recognition. The awards celebrate individuals who have made exceptional contributions to literature, cinema, social service, science, art, and public life.

Special Recognition for Unsung Heroes

Announcing the list of awardees at a press conference held at Vikasa Soudha on Thursday, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi said that this year, special recognition has been given to socialist activist and freedom fighter Konandur Lingappa from Shivamogga. Lingappa played a pivotal role in securing land ownership for tenant farmers through the“Uluvavane Holadodeya” (Tiller is the Owner of the Land) movement.

The minister also highlighted the inclusion of Fakiri, a pourakarmika from Bengaluru Rural district, and Penna Obulayya, a veena maker, for their selfless service and craftsmanship.

Focus on Genuine Achievers

Tangadagi noted that the government identified achievers who have been silently serving society without seeking recognition. No open applications were invited this year; instead, selections were made purely on merit.

“Eighty per cent of the awardees did not apply for the award. Only a few applications were received, and selections were based purely on merit,” the minister said.

Awardees Represent a Wide Range of Fields

This year's 70 Karnataka Rajyotsava Award honourees represent a wide spectrum of disciplines, reflecting the state's cultural and professional diversity. The list includes six achievers from Literature, eight from Folklore, two from Music, one from Dance, two from Cinema, one from Administration, two from Medicine, five from Social Service, and eight from Miscellaneous categories.

Additionally, there are two each from Overseas/Non-Resident, Environment, and Agriculture fields, four from Media, three from Science and Technology, one from Cooperation, three from Yakshagana, one from Bayalata, five from Theatre, four from Education, three from Sports, one from Judiciary, two from Sculpture, one from Painting, and one from Handicrafts. Notably, no organisations have been selected this year, and 13 women are among the awardees, underscoring the inclusive nature of the selection.

Representation Across Karnataka

Following the principle of social justice and regional balance, achievers have been selected from all 31 districts of Karnataka.

Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru districts lead with six awardees each. Bengaluru Urban follows with five, while Belagavi, Bengaluru Rural, and Tumakuru have four each. Shivamogga, Udupi, Koppal, and Vijayapura districts have three each. Other districts, including Bagalkote, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Raichur, Kodagu, and Vijayanagara, have one or two representatives each.

Award Ceremony on November 1

The Rajyotsava Award ceremony will be held at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru, on November 1 at 6 PM, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will present the awards to the recipients.

Category-Wise List of Awardees

This year's Karnataka Rajyotsava Award winners come from diverse fields, showcasing talent and service across the state and beyond.

In Literature, the awardees include Prof. Rajendra Chenni (Shivamogga), Thumbadi Ramayya (Tumakuru), Prof. R. Sunandamma (Chikkaballapur), Dr. H. L. Pushpa (Tumakuru), Rehmath Tarikere (Chikkamagaluru), and H. M. Pujar (Vijayapura).

In Folk Art, the honourees are Basappa Bharamappa Choudki (Koppal), B. Takappa Kannur (Shivamogga), Sanningappa Satteppa Mushennagol (Belagavi), Hanumantappa Marappa Chilangi (Chitradurga), M. Thopanna (Kolar), Somanna Dundappa Dhanagonda (Vijayapura), Sindhu Guzaran (Dakshina Kannada), and L. Mahadevappa Udigal (Mysuru).

In Music, Devendrakumar Pattar (Koppal) and Madiwalayya Sali (Bidar) have been honoured, while in Dance, the award goes to Prof. K. Ramamurthy Rao (Mysuru). 

For Cinema and Television, the recipients are Prakash Raj (Dakshina Kannada) and Vijayalakshmi Singh (Kodagu). In Administration, H. Siddayya (Retd. IAS) – Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) is recognised. The Medicine category includes Dr. Alamma Maranna (Tumakuru) and Dr. Jayaranganath (Bengaluru Rural).

Under Social Service, the awardees are Sulagitti Eeramma (Vijayanagara), Fakkeeri (Bengaluru Rural), Corine Antoinette Rasquina (Dakshina Kannada), Dr. N. Seetharam Shetty (Udupi), Konandur Lingappa (Shivamogga), and Umesh Pambada (Dakshina Kannada). 

In Science and Technology, Ramayya (Chikkaballapur), Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (Davangere), and Dr. R. V. Nadagouda (Gadag) have been honoured.

The Environment category includes Ramegowda (Chamarajanagar) and Mallikarjuna Ningappa (Yadgir), while in Agriculture, Dr. S. V. Hittalmani (Haveri) and M. C. Rangaswamy (Hassan) have been recognised. 

For Education, the recipients are Dr. M. R. Jayaram (Bengaluru), Dr. N. S. Ramegowda (Mysuru), S. B. Hosamani (Kalaburagi), and Rajashree Nagaraju (Belagavi). In Sports, the awardees are Ashish Kumar Ballal (Bengaluru), M. Yogendra (Mysuru), and Dr. Babina N. M. (Kodagu) for her contribution to yoga.

In Yakshagana, Kota Suresh Bangera (Udupi), Airbail Anand Shetty (Udupi), and K. P. Hegde (Uttara Kannada) have been honoured. 

The Theatre awardees include H. M. Paramashivayya (Ramanagara), L. B. Sheikh (Master) – Vijayapura, Bangarappa Khudanpur (Bengaluru), Mime Ramesh (Dakshina Kannada), and D. Ratnamma Desai (Raichur). 

In Sculpture, Basanna Monappa Badiger (Yadgir) and Nagalingappa G. Gangur (Bagalkote) have been recognised. In Painting, B. Maruthi (Vijayanagara) receives the honour, while in Handicrafts, L. Hemashekar (Mysuru) is awarded.

In the Overseas/Outside Karnataka category, the awards go to Zakariya Bajpe (Saudi Arabia) and P. V. Shetty (Mumbai).

The Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards will be presented during the upcoming Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in Bengaluru, marking the 70th anniversary of the state's formation.

MENAFN31102025007385015968ID1110274592