LOKMANYA TILAK NATIONAL AWARD (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 - Awards)

Context: The Prime Minister was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune, Maharashtra. 

• The Prime Minister donated the cash prize to the Namami Gange Project.
• The Prime Minister became the 41st recipient of the award. 
• It has previously been presented to luminaries such as Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mrs Indira Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Shri N. R. Narayana Murthy, Dr E. Sreedharan among others.

Key Points

• The Award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honor the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. 
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak, commonly known as Lokmanya Tilak, was a prominent Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, social reformer, and political leader during the Indian independence movement.
• The British Government termed him the "Father of Indian Unrest".
• He is known for his slogan, "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it."
• It is awarded to people who have worked for the progress and development of the nation and whose contribution can only be seen as remarkable and extraordinary. 
• It is presented every year on the 1st of August - Lokmanya Tilak’s death anniversary.