Aajeevika Mission

• Aajeevika Mission a revolution, says Chouhan

Context: Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Aajeevika Mission had grown beyond a government programme to become a “revolution and a movement”, driven by the economic and social empowerment of women in self-help groups (SHGs).

• Lauding the work of SHG members, Mr. Chouhan said the women had demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience.
• Mr. Chouhan reiterated the Centre’s target of creating three crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’, calling it “a mantra” that would be achieved soon.
• Nearly 10 crore women were currently associated with SHGs, he noted.

Lakkundi excavation yields give a push to bid for UNESCO tag

Context: Excavations which began on January 16 on the premises of the Kote Veerabhadreshwar temple in Lakkundi village of Gadag district have yielded relics dating back to the Neolithic period, giving a fillip to the push for its nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

• The yield of Neolithic relics came close on the heels of a “treasure” being found by a family in the village while digging to lay the foundation for a house.

Hundred wells

• The excavation here — about 12 kilometres from district headquarters Gadag and once known as ‘village of hundred wells and temples’ — are part of sustained efforts to restore the historical significance of Lakkundi.
• It is believed that several architectural wonders still remain covered by houses and other structures or buried beneath the ground in the village. Earlier known as Lokkigundi, the village finds mention in inscriptions dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. In these inscriptions the place is compared to Amaravati, the capital of Indra in terms of affluence.
• Lakkundi was also known for its “tankashale” (mint). Lakkundi was under the rule of the Chalukya, the Yadava, and the Hoysala kings, and was the capital of Hoysala king Eradane Ballala (Veeraballala) in 1192 A.D.
• Lakkundi was the “Karmabhoomi” of queen Attimabbe, an ardent follower of Jainism known for her philanthropic works.
• It is said that the queen who lived in the 11th century, built many temples and Jain basadis and also sank wells for the benefit of people. An award in her name (Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Prashasti) has been instituted by the State government.
• While Jainism prospered in Lakkundi, it also gave shelter to 12th century sharanas like Shivasharana Ajaganna and Sharane Muktayakka who propagated Basaveshwara’s message.
• Several of Lakkundi’s architectural wonders no longer exist now and the Mumbai State Gazetteer mentions only 13 temples having architectural style of Kalyana Chalukyas. Even the wells in Lakkundi are known for their carvings.

Pending project

• Uncovering the buried temple structures and wells has been a long pending project, and under the initiative of H.K. Patil, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and also Tourism, it has been revived.
• As a prelude to the excavation, the Karnataka State Tourism Department Corporation (KSTDC) along with the Archaeology Museums and Heritage Department had launched an initiative in November, 2024, to collect historical relics from the households in the village. Under this, 1,050 historical relics were received from the residents and 13 inscriptions identified. Several of them now find a place in the open museum at Lakkundi for the establishment of which, the residents have joined hands with Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority by parting with their lands.

With INTACH

• The Tourism Department is also giving a push to the proposal to include a group of monuments at Lakkundi along with temples from surrounding places in the UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites. This is in line with the Budget announcement on getting UNESCO tag for Lakkundi.
• The State has tied up with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to finetune the proposal.
• “So far, two meetings have been held in this regard and they (INTACH) are in the process of finalising the proposal,” Commissioner of Lakkundi Heritage Area Development Authority Sharanu Gogeri told The Hindu.
• There are seven ASI protected monuments in Lakkundi and the State has declared 16 temple structures in the village as protected monuments and plans to add eight more to the list by the month-end. The authority has been directed to carry out a comprehensive study and submit a report on including 20 more temples and other structures to the list, which is likely to happen in February.

Shifting village?

• There is also a proposal to shift the village to facilitate restoration of the ancient monuments, but any decision on the relocation will be based on the outcome of the excavation and other surveys of ancient structures being carried out simultaneously.

Padma Shri awardees

• Actor Madhavan, ex-UGC chief among 113 Padma Shri awardees

Context: The Centre announced the names of 113 recipients of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for 2026.

• Among the awardees are M. Jagadesh Kumar, former Chairman of the University Grants Commission; R.V.S. Mani, former Under Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs; Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati; and archaeologist Budha Krishna Mani, who led excavations in Ayodhya and Sarnath.
• Aerospace scientist Chandramouli Gaddamanugu, who directed the Akash missile system from development to deployment during Operation Sindoor, and ISRO scientist A.E. Muthunayagam, who led the cryogenic propulsion system, have also been awarded the Padma Shri. Actors R. Madhavan, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Arvind Vaidya (known for Sarabhai vs Sarabhai), Anil Kumar Rastogi, and Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad are also among the awardees.
• The sportspersons recognised include cricketers Rohit Sharma, captain of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team, and Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to its first women’s ODI World Cup victory, as well as hockey players Savita Punia and Baldev Singh, and para-athlete Praveen Kumar.
• K. Vijay Kumar, the former CRPF D-G and chief of the STF that killed poacher Veerappan; Ramamurthy Sreedher, the founder of community radio in India; and Satyanarayan Nuwal, the founder of India’s first licensed private defence company, which pioneered manufacturing of indigenous ammunition, have also been awarded the Padma Shri.
• The award has also been given to Ashok Khade, a self-made entrepreneur from a Dalit cobbler family, who established a cutting-edge offshore fabrication company; Ashok Kumar Singh, an agriculture scientist who developed over 25 rice varieties; and Dalit author Asok Kumar Haldar, who wrote inspiring literature while being a railway guard.
• Forty-five people were named under the “unsung heroes” category of the award.

Ashok Chakra for Shubhanshu Shukla

Context: On the eve of Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved the conferment of Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards on personnel of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force, recognising acts of exceptional courage in operations and sustained distinguished service across key operational and command appointments.

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force has been honoured with the Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award. The honour follows his ground-breaking mission to the International Space Station in June 2025.
• In the Chakra series of gallantry awards, the President approved the conferment of one Ashok Chakra, three Kirti Chakras, and 12 Shaurya Chakras, including one Shaurya Chakra (posthumous). The gallantry awards include one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry) and 44 Sena Medals (Gallantry), of which five are posthumous. Additionally, six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) were awarded to Navy personnel and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) to Air Force personnel.
• The President also approved a total of 301 military decorations to Armed Forces and other personnel. These include 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 56 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, nine Yudh Seva Medals, two Bars to Sena Medals (Distinguished), 43 Sena Medals (Distinguished), eight Nao Sena Medals (Distinguished), and 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Distinguished).
• Further, 135 Vishisht Seva Medals and 98 Mention-in-Despatches were approved for personnel involved in various operations, including Operation Rakshak, Operation Snow Leopard, Operation Hifazat, Operation Orchid, and Operation Meghdoot, as well as rescue and casualty evacuation tasks. Of these, five mentions are posthumous, with 81 awards going to personnel of the Army.

Padma awardees Karnataka

• Eight from Karnataka honoured with Padma awards

Context: They are from an array of fields, from Art to Trade and Industry; three of the awardees are in the category of ‘Unsung heroes’.

• Shatavadhani R. Ganesh and former BJP Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar B. Kore are among the eight personalities from Karnataka to feature on the list of Padma awardees this year, announced on the eve of Republic Day.
• While Dr. Ganesh has been awarded Padma Bhushan in the category of Art, three among the Padma Shri awardees- Anke Gowda M. from Mandya district, Suresh Hanagavadi from Davangere, S.G. Susheelamma from Bengaluru- have been identified as “Unsung heroes.”

Shatavadhani R. Ganesh

• Sholar and artist, Mr. Ganesh is the only personality from Karnataka to figure in the Padma Bhushan category. He is widely acclaimed for reviving and mastering avadhana, an ancient art form.
• An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science and a student of Metallurgy, Dr. Ganesh, a writer in Kannada and Sanskrit, is credited with the revival of the tradition of Avadhana in Kannada. Avadhana requires focus, concentration and alertness among other skills to compose poetry or face literary challenges posed by other scholars simultaneously in a unique literary event. He is also the author of several works.

S.G. Susheelamma

• A well-known social activist from Bengaluru and the driving force behind the non-profit organisation Sumangali Seva Ashrama, Ms. Susheelamma has been selected for the Padma Shri Award 2026 in recognition of her decades-long commitment to social service.
• She is widely respected for her work with abandoned women, orphaned children and marginalised sections of society.
• Ms. Susheelamma told The Hindu that she had never sought accolades or public acknowledgement for her work. She said the award was a result of “divine grace and the goodwill of the people”. Recalling the early days of her organisation, she said the ashram was established in October, 1975, after she encountered children in urgent need of shelter and care. “I decided to take responsibility for their wellbeing, which eventually led to the formation of the institution.” The ashram has expanded its activities to include a nursery and higher primary school, adult literacy initiatives, health check-up camps, etc.

Suresh Hanagavadi

• JJM medical college professor and founder of the Karnataka Haemophilia Society (KHS), Dr. Hanagavadi began researching Haemophilia after he found that he was suffering from the condition. He founded the KHS with the support of play back singer S.P. Balasubramanyam. Over the years, he has treated several thousand children and adults suffering from Haemophilia.
• He told reporters in Davangere that he was happy that the cause of Haemophilia had been recognised at the national level due to the award. “After being diagnosed with the condition, I founded the society to try and create awareness about it, and promote further research. I only think of it as my responsibility as a medicine teacher and doctor,’’ he said.

Shubha Venkatesha Iyengar

• A former National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) scientist who is noted for her contribution in the development of DRISHTI Transmissometer, which is a runway visibility measuring system and Aviation Weather Monitoring System that has been installed in more than 100 locations across the country.
• Ms. Shuba joined the NAL in 1974 as a research student and was a scientist in the Material Science Division and Airport Instrument Division. She retired from the NAL in 2020. “It is nice to note that our team’s contribution to the country has been recognised. I want to thank my parents for allowing me to pursue my higher education as it was very different at that time for women to pursue higher education but my father encouraged me to do my PhD,” Ms. Shuba said.

Anke Gowda

• The 75-year-old runs Pustaka Mane (House of Books) in Haralahalli village of Pandavapura taluk in Mandya district that has a collection of more than 20 lakh books. The institution is regarded as one of the country’s largest personal libraries, offering free access to readers. A book curator and librarian, Mr. Gowda worked as a bus conductor before joining a sugar factory in Pandavapura as a timekeeper, setting aside a major portion of his salary to buy books.
• He not only sold his site in Mysuru, but also invested his retirement funds to procure books for the library.
• His collection of books, which he started when he was 20 years old, spans literature, science, technology, mythology and philosophy, and includes rare historical manuscripts dating back to 1832. It also features more than 5,000 dictionaries in multiple languages.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati

• Former Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been selected for the Padma Shri for his contributions to media. Mr. Vempati took charge as CEO of the Prasar Bharati in June 2017 and completed a full five-year term.
• An alumnus of IIT Bombay, he was the youngest person and the first non-civil servant to head Prasar Bharati since the institution was established in 1997.

Prabhakar Basavprabhu Kore

• Former chairman of the KLE Society, the 78-year-old educationist has led the KLE Society for over 40 years. The society was running 30 educational institutions in 1985 when he took over. Now, it runs 316 schools, colleges and hospitals with over 18,000 staff and 1.45 lakh students. Its hospitals have over 3,000 beds and provide tertiary specialist treatment to patients in various fields of medicine.

T.T. Jagannathan (Posthumous)

• Chairman emeritus of T.T.K. Prestige, Mr. Jagannathan passed away in Bengaluru in 2025, at 77. He led TTK to become a market leader in the small appliances industry in the country. He was instrumental in transforming the company to reach a market cap of over one billion dollars.
• He was the longest-serving director/chairman in the company’s history.