Eminent writer T Padmanabhan selected for Kerala's highest civilian award

Nov 01, 2023

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 2 : Distinguished writer T Padmanabhan has been awarded the prestigious Kerala Jyothi Award, the highest award given by the state government to distinguished personalities who have made comprehensive contributions in various fields for his remarkable contributions to literature, an official release said here on Wednesday.
Justice (Retd) M Fatima Beevi and Nataraja Krishnamurthy (Surya Krishnamurthy) were awarded the Kerala Prabha Puraskar for their comprehensive contribution to the field of arts.
T Padmanabhan is an Indian short story writer of Malayalam literature. He is a recipient of several awards including the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala.
The committee which included distinguished figures such as director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, former Chief Secretary K Jayakumar, and writer Dr George Onakkoor, reviewed and scrutinised the nominations.
The government subsequently accepted their recommendations and officially announced the recipients of the 2023 Kerala Awards.
According to the release, retired Justice M Fathima Beevi was selected for her contributions to social service and civil service, while Nataraja Krishnamoorthy (known as Surya Krishnamoorthy) was recognised for his accomplishments in the field of arts, both receiving the Kerala Prabha Award.
It also said that in social service, Punaloor Somarajan was selected for the Kerala Sree Award in healthcare while Dr VP Gangadharan, in industry and commerce, renowned publisher Ravi DC, in civil service, retired civil service officer KM Chandrasekhar, and in the arts, musician Pandit Ramesh Narayan, were selected for the Kerala Shree Award.
The government has said that the total number of awards in each category will not exceed 10 in a single year.
The Kerala Jyothi Award is given to one person per year, Kerala Prabha to two persons and Kerala Sree to five persons, after taking into consideration the comprehensive contributions to various fields.