Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Honors 20 Artists at 65th National Art Exhibition

The 65th National Art Exhibition, organized by the Lalit Kala Akademi, took place on September 29, 2026, in New Delhi. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Government of India, attended the event as the chief guest. On this occasion, he honored 20 award-winning artists who have made creative contributions to the field of Indian visual arts.

During the program, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasized the importance of creativity and sustainable development. Referring to the 'Seva hi Sanskriti' initiative launched on the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he stated that it represents a meaningful fusion of creativity and the spirit of service. He also praised the Lalit Kala Akademi's 'Bekar se Chamatkar' initiative, which gives artistic expression to waste materials.

Shri Rajiv Kumar, Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi, informed that more than 6,000 entries were received for this 65th edition of the exhibition, from which 270 artists were selected by a two-tier jury. During the event, a monograph based on the modern Indian painter Abdul Aziz Raiba, edited by Shri Ram Gopal Khadilkar, was also released.

Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, stressed the need to give recognition to contemporary Indian art. He invited the general public and art lovers to visit the exhibition hosted at Rabindra Bhavan in New Delhi. He further informed that the duration of the exhibition has been extended until October 31, 2026.

Present on this dignified occasion were Shri K.K. Mishra, Joint Secretary (Academies) of the Ministry of Culture, Shri Rajiv Kumar, Secretary of the Lalit Kala Akademi, and Padma Shri awardees Shri Sudhakar Olwe, Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik, and Shri Ashok Kumar Biswas. At the conclusion of the program, the chief guest and other dignitaries toured the artworks displayed in the Lalit Kala Gallery.