Anke Gowda received Padma Shri 2026 in Unsung Heroes category.

Exam-focused facts from the 26 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Anke Gowda, 75, was awarded Padma Shri 2026 for lifelong service to librarianship.
He runs Pustaka Mane in Haralahalli village, Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district, housing over 20 lakh books.
His collection includes 5,000 dictionaries, five lakh rare foreign books, 35,000 international magazines, 2,500 Kannada magazines, 2,500 titles on Mahatma Gandhi, 2,500 books on the Bhagavad Gita, and over 100 religious texts.
He received Limca Book of Records in 2016, Rajyotsava Award in 2014, Alva’s Nudi-Siri Award in 2011, and G.P. Rajaratnam Sahitya Paricharika Award in 2009.