Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to Present Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2024 and 2025 to 106 Young Artists in New Delhi

Key facts

• Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will confer the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2024 and 2025 on 106 young artists in music, dance and drama on 19 October 2026 at Meghdoot Complex, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi.
• Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, will be the Guest of Honour and Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, will preside over the ceremony.
• The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar was instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2006 to recognise young artists up to the age of 40 and is presented annually.
• The General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, at its meeting held from 22-26 March 2026 in New Delhi, unanimously selected the 106 awardees for the years 2024 and 2025.
• The award carries a purse of Rs. 25,000 along with a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.