Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat used the occasion to stress that realising the vision of Viksit Bharat would require more than infrastructure and material advances, with art, culture and heritage essential to the process. He told those gathered that the soul and true identity of India lie in its cultural traditions, according to News On AIR. Shekhawat noted that the country is experiencing a period of transformation in which its global standing is rising and artists have an important part to play. The minister highlighted how successive generations of performers have maintained India’s traditions through difficult times.
The ceremony took place at the Meghdoot Complex in Rabindra Bhavan, with Ministry of Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal attending as guest of honour and Sangeet Natak Akademi Chairman Dr Sandhya Purecha presiding, a Press Information Bureau release stated. The 106 recipients had been chosen by the Akademi’s General Council at a meeting in New Delhi between March 22 and 26, 2026. Selections spanned music, dance, drama and allied disciplines, drawing artists from different states and union territories.
Each Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries a purse of 25,000 rupees together with a Tamrapatra and Angavastram, according to Sangeet Natak Akademi rules. The awards target practitioners under 40 years of age and are normally limited to 33 in any single year, yet the current presentation combines the 2024 and 2025 cycles. The Press Information Bureau noted that the honours aim to encourage young talent in both classical and folk performing arts.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi, set up in 1953 as the national academy for music, dance and drama, instituted the Yuva Puraskar in 2006 to support the next generation of artists, its official records show. The award is named after Ustad Bismillah Khan, the shehnai maestro who received the Bharat Ratna. A related announcement in June 2026 named seven Akademi Fellows and 108 recipients of Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the same two years, with those honours to be presented by the President at a separate event.
Recipients included Rajasthan folk dancer Akram Khan Behrupiya, Bihar folk musician Manisha Srivastava and Nagaland choir artist Hito Kiho, News On AIR reported. Subhashree Swain was recognised for Chhau dance, Ghanshyam Sahu for playwriting and Himachal Pradesh singer Inder Jeet for folk music. Inder Jeet dedicated his award to his home region, stating that the recognition would help promote traditional music and culture among younger generations.
Theatre artist and director Dr Anand Kumar Pandey told Akashvani News that he was happy to receive the honour. He described theatre as a lifelong commitment and expressed determination to keep contributing through acting, direction and writing. Pandey is among the many young performers whose work the awards are intended to sustain as part of the country’s cultural framework.
