Assam Cabinet Raises Sankardev Award Prize To Rs 15 Lakh, Finalises State Civilian Honours

(MENAFN- IANS) Guwahati, Oct 23 (IANS) The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday approved an increase in the cash prize of the prestigious Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev Award to Rs 15 lakh, reflecting the state government's emphasis on recognising contributions to culture and society.

The decision was taken during the Cabinet meeting at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur, where the state government also finalised the recipients of the 2025 state civilian awards, which are scheduled to be presented in December.

Under the revised provision, the cash component of the Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev Award has been enhanced to Rs 15 lakh, raising the value of one of Assam's prominent cultural honours.

The award is associated with the legacy of Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th-16th century saint-scholar, reformer, poet and cultural icon whose contributions to the Bhakti movement, literature, music, theatre and Assamese society remain influential.

The Assam Cabinet also finalised the names of recipients for three categories of state civilian honours - Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav.

Harsha Bhattacharjee has been selected for the Assam Baibhav, the highest of the three honours.

The Assam Saurav awardees include Kushal Konwar Sarma, a wildlife expert; Nuruddin Ahmed, an arts director; singer Pulak Banerjee; and Purnima Devi Barman, known for her conservation work on the greater adjutant stork, locally known as the hargila.

The Assam Gaurav awardees include social worker Devi Prasad Bagrodia, footballer Holicharan Narzary, cricketer Simu Das, palm oil cultivator Harakanta Basumatary, manuscript conservationist Dhanjit Talukdar and food and tourism entrepreneur Nibedita Yein.

The honours recognise contributions across diverse fields, including culture, sports, wildlife conservation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and social service.

The awards form part of the Assam government's efforts to acknowledge individuals whose work has contributed to the state's development and public life.

The recipients are scheduled to receive their respective honours at a ceremony in December, according to the Cabinet decisions announced on Friday.

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