Bhopal, Apr 14 (PTI) The prestigious Rashtriya Vanmali Katha Samman awards will be given in eight categories this year including NRI literature and science writing, its organizers announced here on Thursday.

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The literature awards have been instituted by Vanmali Srijan Peeth and Rabindra Nath Tagore University (RNTU) in memory of the late Jagannath Prasad Choube “Vanmali,” an acclaimed Hindi writer.

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The first Vanmali Kathasheersh Samman will be given to professor Dhananjay Verma, while the Vanmali Rashtriya Katha Samman will be given to Delhi-based writer Geetanjali Shri.

Both awards carry a cash prize of Rs one lakh each, shawl and a citation.

The awards will be given during the three-day Rashtriya Vanmali Katha Samman Samaroh to be held in Bhopal from April 15-17, RNTU chancellor and Vanmali Srijan Peeth's national president Santosh Choube told reporters on Thursday.

Vanmali Katha Madhya Pradesh Samman will be given to noted writer Hari Bhatnagar, Vanmali Yuva Katha Samman to Bengaluru-based young writer Chandan Pandey, Vanmali Katha Aalochna Samman to Delhi-based Vaibhav Singh and Vanmali Sahityik Patrika Samman to the monthly magazine Kathadesh which is published from Delhi, he said.

In two new categories, the first Vanmali Pravasi Bhartiya Katha Samman award will be given to London-based Divya Mathur and the first Vanmali Vigyan Katha Samman will be given to Delhi-based science writer Devendra Mewadi, Choube said.

These awards carry a cash prize of Rs 51,000, shawl and a citation, he added.

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