51st Jnanpith Award conferred on Gujarati writer Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the 51st Jnanpith Award on renowned Gujarati writer and litterateur Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari at a function in New Delhi.
He was awarded with the India’s highest literary honour carrying a cash prize, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Goddess Saraswati for the year 2015.

About Raghuveer Chaudhary

• He was born on 5 December 1938 in Bapupura near Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He is novelist, poet, critic and a Gandhian.
• He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998
• His literary work has been influenced by works of Gowardhan Ram Tripathi , Kaka Kalelkar and Suresh Joshi.
• His work: He has authored more than 80 books and some of his notable novels include Amrita, Venu Vatsala, Uparvas, Purvarang and Laagni Samjyaa Vinaa Chuuta Padvanu.
• He also had worked as a columnist for numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka and Divya Bhaskar.
• Awards and Honours: He has received numerous accolades including Sahitya Acadmi Award for his novel Trilogy Uparvaas in 1977.

Note: Mr. Chaudhary is the fourth Gujarati litterateur to bag this prestigious award after Uma Shankar Joshi (1967), Pannalal Patel (1985) and Rajendra Shah (2001).

About Jnanpith Award

• Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honour. Its name has been taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat.
• It was instituted in 1961 and is presented annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family that owns the Times of India newspaper group.
• The award is bestowed upon any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India.
• Prior to 1982, the award was only given for a single work by a writer. But after 1982, the award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian literature.
• The award carries cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2016