Jnanpith Award

Context (TQ): Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award.
This prestigious literary honour is being conferred for the 2^nd time for Sanskrit literature and the 5th time for Urdu literature.

Sampooran Singh Kalra is known by the pen name Gulzar.
Date of Birth: August 18, 1934.
Early Life: Born in Dina, Punjab (present-day Pakistan). Moved to Mumbai due to partition.
Gulzar is celebrated for his works in Hindi cinema and is considered one of the finest Urdu poets of this era.
He has also directed award-winning classics and invented a new genre of poetry called “Triveni”.

Triveni is a 3 line poem, with the first two forming a complete thought while the third adds a hidden dimension.

Some of his notable works include the song “Jai Ho” from the film “Slumdog Millionaire”, which won an Oscar in 2009 and a Grammy Award in 2010.

Awards: Sahitya Akademi Award (2002), Padma Bhushan (2004), Academy Award (2008), Grammy Award (2010), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2013), Jnanpith Award (2024).
Poetry: Writes primarily in Urdu and Punjabi.
Contributions: Associated with various social causes. Wrote for peace campaigns. Involved in education initiatives.
Appointed as Chancellor of Assam University in 2013.

Jagadguru Ramanandacharya was born on 14 January 1950.
Born into a Saryupareen Brahmin family, Rambhadracharya lost his eyesight at the age of two months due to an infection.
He excelled in his studies, mastering the Bhagavad Gita, Ramcharitmanas, and various other texts.
Rambhadracharya’s scholarship spans a wide range of subjects, including Sanskrit grammar, Nyaya, Vedanta, and Indian literature.
He has authored numerous books, papers, and epic poems in languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Awadhi, and Maithili.
Accomplishments:
- Founder of Tulsi Peeth, a religious and social service institution in Chitrakoot.
- Founder and lifelong chancellor of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University, offering education exclusively to disabled students.
- Recognized as one of the greatest authorities on Tulsidas in India.
- Renowned Katha artist for the Ramayana and the Bhagavata.
- Leader of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Rambhadracharya is proficient in 22 languages and has composed poetry and literary works in several Indian languages.
Produced a critical edition of the Ramcharitmanas, a significant work in Hindi literature, which was published as the Tulsi Peeth edition.
He provided expert testimony in the Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid dispute case.

Founded in 1944 by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain.
Objectives:
- Conduct research and publication of extinct, rare, and unpublished works of knowledge.
- Encourage the creation of original literature in service of the people.
It is a premier literary organization in India.
Engages in awards, publications, fellowships, and research.
Maintains a network with authors across various generations and Indian languages.

It is the oldest and highest Indian literary award, presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to authors for their outstanding contributions towards literature.
The award was instituted in 1961 and bestowed upon Indian writers who produced exceptional work in Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, as well as in English.
Cash Prize: revised as of 2023, it stands at ₹11 lakh.
Not conferred posthumously.

In 1965, G. Sankara Kurup, a Malayalam writer, became the first person to be awarded Jnanpith for the collection of poems titled Odakkuzhal (The Bamboo Flute).
In 1976, Ashapoorna Devi, a Bengali novelist, achieved the distinction of being the first woman to win the Jnanpith award for her novel Prothom Protishruti (The First Promise).

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