Pune, Aug 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday presented the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval here, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the country’s security and strategic affairs.
The Tilak Smarak Trust, which instituted the award in 1983, selected the 81-year-old veteran intelligence officer for his decades-long service in strengthening India’s security architecture and safeguarding national interests.
Doval, India’s longest-serving NSA, has handled several high-profile assignments in sensitive regions, including Mizoram, Sikkim, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir. He also served in key diplomatic roles at Indian missions in Islamabad and London.
The NSA has played a crucial role in shaping the country’s security framework and served as India’s Special Representative for the India-China boundary talks. He is widely credited for his diplomatic efforts during the Doklam standoff.
The award is presented annually on August 1, the death anniversary of freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, to individuals for exceptional contribution to the nation’s progress and public service.
Past recipients include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, and Indira Gandhi, former president Pranab Mukherjee, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The first recipient was socialist leader S M Joshi.
Earlier in the day, Amit Shah paid floral tributes to legendary Marathi poet and social reformer Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe on his birth anniversary at Sarasbaug.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, along with other ministers and local leaders, joined the Home Minister in offering tributes at Sathe’s statue.
Born on August 1, 1920, Sathe is remembered as a pioneer of Dalit literature and one of Maharashtra’s most influential folk poets.
