Dharwad: The Karnataka Bal Vikas Academy (KBVA) has conferred its prestigious Academy Honorary Award on the Bidar-based Shaheen Group of Institutions, alongside six other distinguished awardees for the year 2023–24.
The Academy, headquartered in Dharwad, functions under the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka.

Sangamesh A. Babaleshwar, President of the KBVA, announced the recipients of the academy’s prestigious “Academy Honourary Award” for the year 2023–24 at a press conference held in Dharwad on Thursday.
The honours recognise outstanding contributions in the fields of children’s literature, education, theatre, culture, and social service.

The Shaheen Group of Institutions was selected for its notable contribution to children’s education and social service.

The institution has been widely recognised for its sustained efforts in providing quality education and educational opportunities to children from diverse and underserved backgrounds.

The other recipients of the Academy Honourary Award for 2023–24 are

1. Pandit Ramakrishna Shastri, Dakshina Kannada, for contributions to children’s literature

2. B. Go. Ramesh from Mysuru for contributions to children’s literature

3. Aruna Narendra from Koppal for contributions to children’s literature

4. Malatesh Badiger, Bengaluru, for contributions to children’s theatre

5. Pratap R. Bahuroopi, Hubballi, for contributions in education and fine arts

6. Nagasimha G. Rao, Bengaluru, for contributions to literature and culture

The award ceremony will be held on 16 December 2025 at Suvarna Soudha, Belagavi, where the awardees will be formally honoured in the presence of Cabinet Ministers, officials, and other dignitaries.

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Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.

Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.

However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.

"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.

The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.

"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.

With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.

"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."

Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.

"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.

"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."