Dr. Mahabir Pun, founder of the National Innovation Center, has been honored with the ‘Ratna-Shrestha National Award.’ The award carries a cash prize of NPR 50,000. The award was presented during a ceremony organized by the ‘Ratna-Shrestha Puraskar Guthi’ in Baglung on Wednesday. In Dr. Pun’s absence, Indra Wali, a representative from the National Innovation Center, received the award along with a cash prize, a ceremonial shawl, and a certificate on his behalf.
According to the Guthi, the award was given in recognition of Dr. Pun’s book Mahabir Pun: Samjhana, Sapana Ra Aviral Yatra. Dr. Pun is widely known for his exemplary work in establishing the National Innovation Center, creating employment opportunities, and fostering innovation.
Similarly, this year’s ‘Dhaulagiri Pratibha Award’ was conferred upon writer Jagannath Prasad Lamsal for his poetry collection Sahadharmini. The award carries a cash prize of NPR 15,000.
Likewise, the ‘Jagat Chandra Memorial National Award 2081’ was awarded to Palpa-based writer Choleswar Sharma. The award, presented by the Jagat Chandra Memorial Fund under the patronage of the ‘Ratna-Shrestha Puraskar Guthi,’ carries a cash prize of NPR 25,000. According to Mahesh Chandra Pradhan, the Guthi’s member-secretary, Sharma was honored for his essay collection Sagarmatha Ek Pahadko Naam Hoina.
During the same ceremony, Ram Krishna Suvedi, a student of Muktinath Veda Vidyashram Sanskrit School in Kundel, Baglung-4, received the ‘Guru Ganesh Memorial Award.’ Established in memory of Ganesh Prasad and Bishnu Kumari Shrestha of Baglung, the award carries a cash prize of NPR 10,000 and is presented biennially.
Writer and cultural activist Prem Chhota had established the award fund in B.S. 2034 in memory of his mother, Ratna Kumari Shrestha. The ‘Ratna-Shrestha Puraskar Guthi’ is regarded as one of the oldest award institutions in Nepal, dedicated to honoring creators who contribute to the promotion of language, literature, and culture, as stated by its founding patron, Chhota.
