Eight Achievers from K’taka get Padma Awards 2026; Shatavadhani R. Ganesh get Padma Bhushan
Bengaluru: The Padma Awards for 2026 were announced on Saturday, with eight achievers from Karnataka finding a place on the prestigious list this year.
Renowned scholar and multi-lingual exponent Shatavadhani R. Ganesh has been awarded the Padma Bhushan for his exceptional contribution to the field of art.
Apart from him, seven achievers from Karnataka have been selected for the Padma Shri award. They are:
Anke Gowda of Mandya for social service
S. G. Susheelamma for social service
Shashi Shekhar Vempati for contributions to literature
Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi for work in the field of medicine
T. T. Jagannathan for contributions to trade and industry
Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar for science and engineering
Prabhakar Basavaprabhu Kore for contributions to literature and education
About Padma Bhushan awardee Shatavadhani R. Ganesh
Shatavadhani R. Ganesh, a distinguished multi-lingual scholar, has been conferred the Padma Bhushan for his outstanding contribution to the arts. Born in 1962 in Kolar, he is the son of R. Shankaranarayana Iyer and Alamelamma.
He completed his primary and secondary education in Bengaluru, while his pre-university education was pursued in Gauribidanur. Ganesh holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Visvesvaraya Technological University. He later earned an MSc in Materials Science and Metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Science and went on to complete a postgraduate degree in Sanskrit from the University of Mysore.
Hampi Kannada University honoured him with its first-ever D.Litt degree for his doctoral thesis titled “Avadhana Art in Kannada.” Ganesh has performed Avadhana in eight languages, including Sanskrit, Kannada and Telugu. His unique contribution, known as “Chitrakavya,” has been showcased through performances in the United States and several European countries.
He has authored scholarly works such as Shatavadhana Sharade and Shatavadhana Srividye, which explore this rare art form. A master of subjects including poetics, prosody, Vedanta, Upanishads, dharmashastra, Indian philosophy, history, culture, grammar and aesthetics, Ganesh has written over 12 Sanskrit plays, 16 Sanskrit poetry collections, eight Kannada poetry works, and three Kannada novels, besides translating six major works.
Ganesh presented his first Shatavadhana on December 15, 1991, at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Bengaluru. He went on to perform the first complete Kannada Shatavadhana between November 30 and December 2, 2012. On February 16, 2014, he marked a major milestone by presenting his 1,000th Avadhana performance in Bengaluru.
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HD Kumaraswamy slams Ramanagara DC for ignoring his calls, vows to oppose land acquisition
Bengaluru: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday criticised the Ramanagara district administration, alleging that the district commissioner was deliberately ignoring his phone calls.
Speaking at an indefinite farmers’ protest held at Bhairamangala, Kanchuganhalli and nearby villages, Kumaraswamy said the Ramanagara DC was not responding even after seeing his mobile number. “The moment they see my number, they don’t take the call at all,” he alleged.
Issuing a strong warning to officials, Kumaraswamy said government officers should not commit mistakes under pressure from anyone. “Even after retirement, you cannot escape responsibility. Don’t betray the people by succumbing to pressure from ministers or MLAs of this government,” he said.
Kumaraswamy asserted that he would not allow the state government to acquire fertile agricultural land around Bidadi. “We will not allow even an inch of land to be taken. Not a single inch,” he declared, throwing a direct challenge to the state government. He said protecting the land of women farmers was his responsibility and urged them not to give up their land under any circumstances.
Assuring farmers of his support, the Union Minister said they need not be afraid. “I am with you. Governments come and go, but people are permanent. Governments must bow to public opinion. If not, people know how to teach them a lesson,” he said.
Kumaraswamy also alleged that some individuals were supporting the land acquisition move, which he termed dangerous. He accused the government of attempting to acquire highly valuable and fertile land at throwaway prices. “Some people have already created land banks in benami names to loot. They are cheating the people and the government. The day is not far when such people will be forced to stand on the streets,” he warned.
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