Modi to Present First Bhupen Hazarika National Award to Usha Mangeshkar

The year-long birth centenary celebrations of Bhupen Hazarika will conclude at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on November 29, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the newly instituted national award to Usha Mangeshkar.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Assam government had selected the eminent singer for the inaugural ‘Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Award’.

The award recognises Mangeshkar’s outstanding contributions to Indian music and her association with Hazarika’s works, Sarma said.

Award to honour contributions to music and culture

The Assam cabinet approved instituting the award on October 23, 2026, to honour personalities who have contributed to music and culture.

Sarma said the award would also help perpetuate the legacy of Hazarika, who was a singer, composer and filmmaker.

The award will be presented every three years to an internationally or nationally recognised figure in music, arts or cinema.

It will carry a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a citation.

Modi will present the award during the concluding ceremony of Hazarika’s year-long birth centenary celebrations, Sarma said at a press conference.

The concluding event is expected to draw around 5,000-7,000 people from across the country.

Sarma said the programme would showcase Hazarika’s artistic legacy and multifaceted genius.

He said Hazarika’s music, poetry and humanist philosophy had crossed geographical and cultural boundaries.

Musical tribute and exhibition planned

Renowned singers Kavita Krishnamurthy, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal will pay a musical tribute to Hazarika along with artistes from Assam, Sarma said.

The tribute will celebrate what the chief minister described as Hazarika’s enduring contribution to India’s cultural heritage.

An exhibition will also be organised during the concluding event.

Sarma said the exhibition would introduce Hazarika’s timeless creations to a wider international audience.

The chief minister said the culmination of the year-long celebrations must reflect the stature of a cultural icon whose creative genius enriched Assam and the nation.

He stressed the importance of taking Hazarika’s message of humanity, harmony and universal brotherhood to future generations.

Sarma also spoke of strengthening global recognition of Hazarika’s contributions to music, literature and culture.

Hazarika’s legacy at the centre of celebrations

Sarma described the concluding event as a landmark occasion celebrating the extraordinary contributions of the ‘Bard of the Brahmaputra’, the name by which Hazarika was popularly known.

He said the event would also mark Hazarika’s enduring legacy as a voice that transcended borders and united people through the universal language of music and humanity.

The year-long birth centenary celebrations began last year with Modi attending a special tribute meeting for Hazarika.

On that occasion, the prime minister also released a commemorative coin of ₹100 brought out by the Reserve Bank of India to honour the singer.

Modi also released a biography of Hazarika titled ‘Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika’.

Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926, in Sadiya in the Tinsukia district of Assam.

He died on November 5, 2011, in Mumbai.

Hazarika was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019.

The new national award is being instituted as part of the state’s effort to honour contributions to music and culture while preserving the legacy of the singer, composer and filmmaker.

Its three-year cycle will allow it to recognise nationally or internationally recognised figures from music, arts or cinema.

Other decisions approved by Assam cabinet

The cabinet also approved increasing the cash prize for the ‘Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev Award’ to ₹15 lakh.

Sarma said the increase was intended to reflect the stature of the award as a premier cultural honour.

The council of ministers also finalised the list of recipients for the 2025 State civilian awards.

Those awards will be presented in December.

Eminent ophthalmologist Dr. Harsha Bhattacharjee has been nominated for ‘Assam Baibhav’, the state’s highest civilian award, Sarma said.

‘Assam Saurav’ will be conferred upon wildlife expert Kushal Konwar Sarma, art director Nuruddin Ahmed, singer Pulak Banerjee and wildlife conservationist Purnima Devi Barman.

‘Assam Gaurav’ will be conferred upon social worker Devi Prasad Bagrodia, footballer Holicharan Narzary, visually impaired cricketer Simu Das and palm oil cultivator Harakanta Basumatary, among others.

The cabinet also approved notifying the Assam Mineral Regulation and Dealers (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which amend the 2020 Rules.

The amendment categorises extracted limestone into distinct grades, including high, medium and base cement grade, across categories 1, 2 and 3.

The revised classification will ensure that the government collects royalties proportionate to the quality of limestone instead of applying a single flat rate.

The cabinet approved an investment proposal from M/s Weetek Plastic Private Limited of the Welspun Group to establish a manufacturing unit in Rangia in Kamrup district.

The proposed investment is ₹303.69 crore and the unit will provide employment for 300 individuals.

The cabinet also approved election rules for the Mising and Sonowal Kachari autonomous councils.

Sarma said the State Election Commission had been advised to conduct elections for both councils within November.

Source: The Hindu