Media Release

Mangaluru, Sep 15: The Manorama M Bhat Memorial Award, instituted in memory of renowned Kannada writer and women's rights advocate Manorama M Bhat, has been awarded to two first-year BA students of St Aloysius Deemed-to-be University, this year.

The endowment was established by her sons, Jayaram Muliya and Mahesh Bhat Muliya, with the aim of carrying forward her passion for literature and progressive thought and inspiring the next generation of women through the study of Kannada literature.

The award is presented to female students who secure the highest marks in Kannada at the PUC level and choose Kannada literature as a major for their BA degree. The award presentation has been held for the past two years.

The endowment has a total value of Rs 60,000 over three years, with Rs 20,000 awarded each year.

This year's award eligibility was earned by Varshini from Sakleshpur and Sudheeksha from Kundapura, both first-year BA students at St Aloysius Deemed-to-be University.

The Kannada department of St Aloysius Deemed-to-be University has a rich 146-year history. Manorama M Bhat's father-in-law, Muliya Thimmappayya, served as a professor at the institution and contributed to the development of the department.

The selection committee comprised Mahesh M Bhat, co-founder of the award endowment; Dr Dinesh Nayak, head of the Kannada department; and senior Kannada professors Dr Narasimha Murthy, Dr Vishwanatha Badikana and Dr Mahalinga Bhat.