Auqib Nabi Dar, Ishfaq Gowhar, Saadat Nasir Wani Among J&K Government Awardees on Republic Day 2026 – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the conferment of J&K Government Awards for Republic Day 2026, recognising outstanding contributions across a wide range of fields including bravery, literature, arts, social service, public administration, sports, media and entrepreneurship.

According to government order, a copy of which lies with Alfaaz – The Words, the awards carry a cash prize and a citation and have been sanctioned by the General Administration Department.

In the category of Bravery, Adil Hussain Shah of Hapatnar, Pahalgam, was honoured posthumously, while Nikhil Kumar, PSI, of Jammu, was also recognised for acts of courage.

The Literature awards were conferred on Yashpaul Nirmal for Dogri literature, Ch Hassan Parwaz for Gojri, Parwaiz Manoos for Pahari, Fayaz Dilbar posthumously for poetry, Kewal Krishan Sharma as writer and poet, and Rattan Lal Sharma as writer, editor and translator.

Under Performing Arts, the awardees include singer Tanya Dev Gupta, actor Anil Tickoo, actor and director Dr Ayash Arif, Rabab artist Abdul Hamid Bhat, Dogri folk singer Raman Singh Slathia, singer and music director Sunil Sharma, theatre artist Ajay Kumar Sharma, producer and director Sudesh K Verma, and tabla artist Neeraj Verma.

For Excellence in Arts and Crafts, Sajjad Husain Bhat, Bhushan Kesar, Mohammad Shafi Bhat, Razia Mushtaq and Ishfar Ali were recognised for their work in traditional crafts and art education.

The Social Reforms and Empowerment category includes Arhan Bagati of KYARI, Home for the Aged and Infirm, Mehjabeen Nabi of Care Foundation and Charitable Trust, and Saadat Nasir Wani Sogami of Team Red NGO.

Meritorious Public Service awards were granted to Dr V S Senthil Kumar, IFS, Tariq Ganai, JKAS, Rohit Sharma, JKAS, Pooja Wazir, and Dr Majid Jahangir.

The Lifetime Achievement award was conferred posthumously on Mohammad Shafi Pandit, retired IAS officer.

In Sports, cricketer Auqib Nabi Dar led the list, along with Brijesh Sharma, Rakesh Singh, Vishal Khajuria, Saleem Kumar, Ravees Ahmad, Sudipti Khanna, Mohammad Iqbal and Aiyza Naz Chib.

Outstanding Media Persons recognised include Avtar Krishan Bhat, Vivek Suri, Somil Abrol, Dinesh Manhotra, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Inayat Jahangir, Razia Noor, Sunil Ji Bhat, Ishfaq Gowhar Zargar, Syed Khalid Hussain, Sarosh Kafeel and Neeta Sharma.

For Industrial Entrepreneurship, the awardees are Mohammad Niyaz ul Kabir of GR8 Sports, Sheikh Yameen of Heaventure Adventures Private Limited, and Sunil Singh of Kishtwar Gold Walnut Farm.