People, Positions and Obituaries · 17 July 2026

Tamil Poet and Lyricist R. Vairamuthu Conferred with 60th Jnanpith Award

Exam-focused facts from the 17 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Tamil poet and lyricist R. Vairamuthu was conferred the 60th Jnanpith Award for the year 2025.
  • He is the third Tamil literary figure to receive the award, after Akilan and Jayakanthan, ending a 24-year gap.
  • The award was presented by politician and scholar Karan Singh in New Delhi.
  • Vairamuthu received a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Vagdevi, and a citation.
  • He had previously won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for his work 'Kallikattu Ithikasam'.
  • The Jnanpith Award is instituted by Bharatiya Jnanpith (established in 1944) and was first awarded in 1961.
  • The award is given for outstanding lifetime contribution to literature in any language listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

Puviyarasu, Tamil Poet and Translator, Dies

Puviyarasu, a renowned Tamil poet, translator, screenwriter, and actor, died at the age of 96 in Coimbatore. He was among the few Indian litterateurs to win the Sahitya Akademi Award twice, for translation and poetry.

Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti observed on May 7, 2026

Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2026 was observed on May 7, marking the 165th birth anniversary of the Nobel laureate. Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, in Kolkata to parents Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi.