What is the Lokmanya Tilak Award?

The Lokmanya Tilak Award is a prestigious honor given annually to a person or an organization that has made outstanding contributions to the fields of journalism, literature, social service, education or public affairs. The award is named after Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a freedom fighter, journalist and reformer who was also known as Lokmanya, meaning "accepted by the people". The award was instituted in 1983 by the Kesari-Mahratta Trust, which runs the newspapers Kesari and Tarun Bharat founded by Tilak. The award consists of a citation, a plaque and a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh. Some of the past recipients of the award include former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, social activist Anna Hazare and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.