Global Kayastha Conference (GKC) organised the Mahadevi Verma Memorial Awards Ceremony 2026 at Bapu Tower in Gardanibagh, Patna. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
By A CorrespondentÂ
Patna: The Global Kayastha Conference (GKC) organised the Mahadevi Verma Memorial Awards Ceremony 2026 at Bapu Tower in Gardanibagh, Patna. The event commenced with a Ganesh Vandana and floral tributes to Lord Chitragupta, followed by renditions of the National Anthem and the GKC anthem.
On the occasion, 26 distinguished personalities from across India, as well as from the United States and Nepal, were honoured with the Mahadevi Verma Memorial Award 2026. Among the top honourees receiving the Mahadevi Verma Shikhar Samman were Girish Chandra Lal (Law, Nepal), Major General Anuj Mathur (National Security, Jaipur), Vijay Prakash (Administration, Patna), and Shyam Ji Sahay (Literature, Patna).
The remaining 22 awardees represented diverse fields including art and culture, law, literature, cinema, entrepreneurship, journalism, education and politics, hailing from cities such as Ranchi, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, as well as Nepal and the USA.
The ceremony was inaugurated with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr Prem Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Member of Parliament Ravi Shankar Prasad, Agriculture Minister Ram Kripal Yadav, Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar, Labour Resources Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger, former minister and Phulwari MLA Shyam Rajak, MLC Sanjay Gandhi, and GKC Global President and JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad. Several other dignitaries, including Women’s Commission Chairperson Apsara Mishra, were also present.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Welcoming the guests, GKC Managing Trustee Ragini Ranjan announced that the organisation plans to identify and train nearly 1,000 capable women across the country for leadership roles.
In his address, chief guest Dr Prem Kumar praised Rajiv Ranjan Prasad for his efforts to inspire and connect the younger generation through initiatives such as this, calling them commendable. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary highlighted the Kayastha community’s longstanding tradition of merit and excellence across sectors.
Addressing the gathering, MP Ravi Shankar Prasad urged members of the Kayastha community to participate more actively in politics, noting that Rajiv Ranjan Prasad has been consistently working towards this goal. Agriculture Minister Ram Kripal Yadav described the initiative as laudable, stating that the Kayastha identity is synonymous with intellectual excellence.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Former minister Shyam Rajak remarked that the Kayastha community has historically led in various fields, and efforts by GKC to unify the community are praiseworthy. Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar paid tribute to the rich legacy of Kayastha luminaries, stating that their heritage remains indelible.
In his remarks, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad welcomed the dignitaries and expressed gratitude for their presence. He also voiced concern over the declining participation of the Kayastha community in politics, asserting that Indian history remains incomplete without acknowledging the contributions of Kayastha stalwarts.
During the ceremony, all Chitragupta Puja committees in Patna were also honoured by Ragini Ranjan and other distinguished guests.
The welcome address was delivered by GKC State President Deepak Kumar Abhishek and Membership Drive In-charge Nilesh Ranjan, while the vote of thanks was jointly presented by National General Secretary Naveen Kumar, Dr Namrata Anand and Dhananjay Prasad.
The event also featured a grand cultural programme, jointly conducted by Sonika Srivastava, Diwakar Kumar Verma and Mrinalini Akhori. Performers enthralled the audience with vibrant presentations, adding a musical charm to the evening.
The information was jointly shared by GKC National Spokesperson Atul Anand Sannu and Mukesh Mahan.
Here is the complete list of all 26 award winners** honoured at the Mahadevi Verma Memorial Awards 2026:
Shikhar Samman Awardees (Top Honours)
1. Girish Chandra Lal (Law, Nepal)
2. Major General Anuj Mathur (National Security, Jaipur)
3. Vijay Prakash (Administration, Patna)
4. Shyam Ji Sahay (Literature, Patna)
Other Awardees
5. Kumkum Gaur (Art & Culture, Ranchi)
6. Shwetank Shailakwal (Law, Uttar Pradesh)
7. Dr Sarita Srivastava (Art & Culture, Raipur)
8. Dr Sunil Kumar Champarani (Literature, Champaran)
9. Uday Srivastava (Cinema, Mumbai)
10. Arvind Kumar (NRI Entrepreneur, USA)
11. Gautam Azad (Astrology, Mumbai)
12. Ranjit Karna (Politics, Nepal)
13. Ranjan Raj Srivastava (Entrepreneur, Nepal)
14. Avneesh Srivastava (Law, Delhi)
15. Prof Dr Ranvijay Sinha (Education, Patna)
16. Sushil Bharti (Journalism, Jharkhand)
17. Santosh Suman (Journalism, Patna)
18. Reena Sopam (Journalism, Patna)
19. Dr Rita Das (Art & Culture, Patna)
20. Dr Urmila Srivastava (Art & Culture, Uttar Pradesh)
21. Dr Urvashi Srivastava (Literature, Kolkata)
22. Dr Nisha Parashar (Art & Culture, Patna)
23. Subhashini Swaroop (Literature, Bengaluru)
24. Dr Shikha Bhatnagar (Education, Hyderabad)
25. Dr Mukesh Kumar Singh (Global Legal Honour, Nepal)
26. Dr Bhawani Sharade (Art & Culture, Patna)
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