About Award
Lokmanya Tilak National Award: A Legacy of Excellence and National Service
Instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, the Lokmanya Tilak National Award stands as a monument of honour, prestige, and national reverence. Established in memory of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a towering figure in India's freedom movement and a pioneer of Swarajya (self-rule), this illustrious award recognizes visionaries, change-makers, and trailblazers who have left an indelible mark on the nation.
Every year, on August 1st, commemorating the Punyatithi (Death Anniversary) of Lokmanya Tilak, this distinguished award is conferred upon individuals whose pioneering efforts and exceptional contributions have advanced the nation in fields such as nation-building, leadership, science and technology, social reform, education, and beyond.
The recipients of this award embody Tilak’s ethos of resilience, fearless leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the nation’s progress. Over the years, some of the most eminent personalities from India and across the globe have been honoured with this prestigious recognition, celebrating their pioneering spirit, unwavering dedication, and transformative influence.
Lokmanya Tilak, hailed as the ‘Father of Indian Unrest’, firmly believed in empowering the masses through education, self-reliance, and national pride. This award, a tribute to his enduring legacy, continues to inspire generations, upholding his ideals of courage, service, and relentless pursuit of progress.
Sudha Murty to Receive Prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2024
Author, and Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty is set to be honored with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award by the Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Trust. The award ceremony will take place on August 1 in New Delhi, commemorating the 104th death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.
Murty has made significant contributions to rural development, literature, and the social sector, aligning with Lokmanya Tilak's principles of self-reliance.
Dr. Rohit Tilak, trustee of the Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Trust, announced the award at a press conference. The ceremony will be held at Maharashtra Sadan, with notable guests including Sharad Pawar, Dr. Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj, and Ramesh Chennithala. The award includes a commemorative plaque and a cash prize of one lakh rupees.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023
The Award was constituted by Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983 to honor the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak. The Prime Minister donated the cash prize to the Namami Gange Project.The Prime Minister paid floral tributes at the statue of Lokmanya Tilak after arriving at the venue. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister paid tributes to Lokmanya Tilak on his punya tithi and said that it is a special day for him.
“Lokmanya Tilak ji is the ‘tilak’ of India’s freedom struggle”, the Prime Minister said. He also underlined the extraordinary and unparalleled contributions of Anna Bhau Sathe towards the betterment of society. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chapekar Brother, Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Earlier the Prime Minister sought blessings at the Dagdusheth Temple.
DRDO scientist Tessy Thomas to receive Tilak National Award 2022
Thomas was the project director for Agni-4 and Agni-5 missile systems and overseen their successful flight tests. Currently, she serves as the Director General (Aeronautical Systems), Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The award, instituted by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust, is given every year to an Indian who has dedicated his life to strengthening the country’s democratic principles and contributed to Tilak’s dream of a strong and modern India.
The trustees have unanimously decided to give her the award in recognition of her contribution to promoting ‘swadeshi’ philosophy,” said Deepak Tilak and Rohit Tilak, President and Vice President of the Tilak Smarak Trust, in a statement.
Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla receives Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2021
Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla received the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2021. The award was given by Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust at Pune in the presence of Dr. Deepak J Tilak, President of Tilak Samrak Mandir, former Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Dr. Rohit D. Tilak. Dr. Poonawalla was felicitated for his contribution to the health sector.
Poonawalla will be felicitated for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein he helped in saving many lives by manufacturing Covishield vaccine. Under his leadership, crores of doses of Covishield vaccine were made available to the world in record time.
The award ceremony was held in the presence of former Maharashtra home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, President of Tilak Smarak Mandir, Deepak Tilak and Trustee of Tilak Smarak Mandir, Rohit Deepak Tilak, who conferred the award to him.
Recipients of Lokmanya Tilak National Award
| Name of Recipients | Year |
|---|---|
| Mr. S.M. Joshi | 1983 |
| Smt. Godavari Parulekar | 1984 |
| Mrs. Indra Gandhi (Posthumous) | 1985 |
| Shri. S.A. Dange | 1986 |
| Shri. AchyutraoPatwardhan | 1987 |
| Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan (Posthumous) | 1988 |
| Smt. Sudhatai Joshi | 1989 |
| shri. Madhu Limaye | 1990 |
| Shri. Balasaheb Deoras | 1991 |
| Shri. Pandurang Shastri Athawale | 1992 |
| Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | 1993 |
| Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee | 1994 |
| Dr. T.N. Sheshan | 1995 |
| Dr. R.N. Dandekar | 1996 |
| Dr. Manmohan Singh | 1997 |
| Dr. R. Chidambaram | 1998 |
| Dr. Vijay Bhatkar | 1999 |
| Shri. Rahul Bajaj | 2000 |
| Prof. M.S. Swaminathan | 2001 |
| Dr. Verghese Kurian | 2002 |
| Shri. Ramoji Rao | 2003 |
| Shri. N.R. Narayan Murthy | 2004 |
| Name of Recipients | Year |
|---|---|
| Shri. Sam Pitroda | 2005 |
| Shri. G. Madhavan Nair | 2006 |
| Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai | 2007 |
| Shri. Monteksingh Ahluwalia | 2008 |
| Shri. Pranab Mukherjee | 2009 |
| Smt. Sheila Dikshit | 2010 |
| Dr. Kota Harinarayana | 2011 |
| Dr. Vikas Amte & Dr. Prakash Amte | 2012 |
| Dr. E. Sreedharan | 2013 |
| Dr. Avinash Chander | 2014 |
| Dr. Subbiah Arunan | 2015 |
| Shri. Sharadchandra pawar | 2016 |
| Shri. Acharya Balkrishna | 2017 |
| Dr. K. Sivan | 2018 |
| Shri. Baba Kalyani | 2019 |
| Shri. Sonam Wanghchuk | 2020 |
| Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla | 2021 |
| Dr. Tessy Thomas | 2022 |
| Shri. Narendra Damodardas Modi | 2023 |
| Smt. Sudha Murty | 2024 |
| Shri. Nitin Jairam Gadkari | 2025 |