Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar conferred on 106 Artists

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday conferred the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Award to 106 young artists in New Delhi. The Sangeet Natak Akademi anounced this awards for the years 2024 and 2025 to 106 young artists from across the country in the field of performing arts.  Rajasthan’s Akram Khan Behrupiya received the puraskar for folk dance, Bihar’s Manisha Srivastava for Folk music, while Hito Kiho from Nagaland was honoured for Choir music. Subhashree Swain was conferred the puraskar for Chhau dance and Ghanshyam Sahu was given the award for Playwriting.
Addressing the gathering Shekhawat said that the vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be realised through good infrastructure and materialistic progress alone, but art, culture and heritage will play a vital role in it. He said that the soul and true identity of India lies in its cultural traditions and heritage. Mr Shekhawat said that the country is undergoing an era of transformation, with its identity and stature gaining recognition across the world. He noted that artists have a significant role to play in this transformation. The Minister highlighted the contribution of generations of artists who have sustained India’s cultural traditions despite many hardships.
The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar seeks to encourage young talent and recognise contributions to India's performing arts. By honouring artists from different regions and disciplines, the awards also draw attention to the need to preserve and promote the country's diverse cultural traditions.