Mukherjee confers 'Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony' on Zubin Mehta

President Pranab Mukherjee today conferred the Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony 2013, on maestro Zubin Mehta.

The award carries an amount of Rs. one crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.

The annual award was instituted by the Government of India during the commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex. The first Tagore Award was conferred on Indian Sitar Maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar in 2012.

A high-level jury under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Gopalkrishna Gandhi after detailed discussions on July 4, 2013, unanimously decided to select Mehta to be the second recipient of the Tagore Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural harmony.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh and several dignitaries and prominent citizens were present at the award ceremony, which was held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.