The Karnataka Government on Wednesday, November 1, awarded the prestigious Rajyotsava award to 68 persons, including Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanth and Bengaluru based journalist Maya Sharma, for their meritorious services in their respective fields. The recipients were selected by a committee led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and announced on October 31.
The award ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 1 at the Ravindra Kalakshetra, with Siddaramaiah presenting the awards. Karnataka celebrated the golden jubilee of renaming Mysore State as Karnataka this year. Rajyotsava awardees are granted a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a 25-gram gold medal.
Among the awardees in the cinema category are actors 'Dingri’ Nagaraj and B Janardhana, also known as Bank Janardhana. The awards also went to three centenarians, K Roopa Naik (social service) from Davangere, Husenabi Buden Sab Siddi (folk art) from Uttara Kannada, and freedom fighter Puttaswamy Gowda (Ramanagara).
The organisations honoured with the award include Karnataka Sangha (Shivamogga), BN Shivarama Pustaka Prakashana (Mysuru), Mythic Society (Bengaluru), Karnataka Sahitya Sangha (Yadgiri), Moulana Azad Shikshana and Samaja Kalyana Sanskrithika Sangha (Davangere), Muslim Education Institutions Federation (Dakshina Kannada), Sneharanga Havyasi Kala Samsthe (Bagalkot), Chinnara Bimba (Mumbai), Maruthi Janaseva Sangha (Dakshina Kannada), and Vidyadana Samithi (Gadag).