Maharashtra govt selects Savarkar's composition for its 1st Sambhaji Maharaj song award

Pic courtesy/Official Twitter handle of Ashish Shelar

Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar on Tuesday announced the establishment of an award for inspirational songs in the memory of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and said the inaugural honour will go to a composition penned by Hindutva icon V D Savarkar, reported news agency PTI.

Shelar announced the establishment of 'Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Rajya Prerna Geet' Award during his visit to the Port of Marseilles, France, a place linked to Savarkar.

The award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a commemorative memento, is inspired by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and will recognize outstanding inspirational songs annually, Shelar said, reported PTI.

The inaugural award will honour Savarkar's song, 'Anadi Me, Anant Me' for its profound impact and patriotism, said the minister.

Besides being a warrior, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was also a Sanskrit scholar and writer, having penned a book named 'Budhbhushana' and other literary works. The award pays tribute to his literary legacy and the inspirational power of poetry during challenging times, he noted, reported PTI.

Savarkar's 'Anadi Me, Anant Me' was written during his imprisonment when he attempted to escape from British custody in Marseilles. The song embodies patriotism and was chosen unanimously for the award this year, he said.

A committee headed by the Minister of Cultural Affairs will oversee the award process and it will be presented to poets or their relatives or institutions that uphold their literary legacy, Shelar informed.

However, the state government has not yet declared who will accept the award for Savarkar's composition.

Maharashtra govt approves establishment of data authority

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday approved a policy that seeks to harness data for the effective implementation of schemes and also cleared the establishment of a state data authority.

The policy framework has been formulated in a way through which the data gathered by different departments of the state government can be used for effective implementation of schemes and projects.

A State Data Authority will also be established under the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), according to a cabinet decision.

A large amount of information is gathered as several government departments use computers. The policy envisages using data by harnessing its full capacity.

This data from different departments, educational institutes, research organisations, and businesses will help in implementing governance in a transparent manner if it is collated together.

The policy will ensure that the data of every department is accurate.

This will help in reducing stress on civic officers working in rural areas, anganwadi workers and agriculture assistants in gathering data. This will help them focus on their core jobs.

(With inputs from PTI)