New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the first-ever National Creators Award at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The award aims to honour the outstanding and influential digital creators across various fields, such as storytelling, social change, environmental sustainability, education, and gaming. The award also seeks to inspire more people to use their creativity for positive change. Among those awarded were Pankhti Pandey, who got the award in ‘Green Champion’ category, Keerthika Govindasamy got it for best story teller, singer Maithili Thakur got the ‘Cultural Ambassador of the Year award’, Gaurav Chaudhary for the Best Creator in Tech Category and Kamiya Jani for the Favourite Travel Creator.
PM Modi also addressed the gathering and shared a funny story about Amdavadis (residents of Gujarat’s capital Ahmedabad). He said, “Once a train reached the Ahmedabad station and a passenger on the upper berth asked the guy on the lower berth about the station’s name. He replied, ‘If you pay me 25 paise (one-fourth of a rupee), I will tell you the station’s name.’ The passenger on the upper berth said, ‘Don’t bother, I know this is Ahmedabad.”
#WATCH | Delhi: At the first ever National Creators Award, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents the Favourite Green Champion award to Pankti Pandey at Bharat Mandapam. pic.twitter.com/egMaLyR4wd
— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2024
The National Creators Award received an overwhelming response from the public. More than 1.5 lakh nominations were submitted in 20 different categories in the first round. Then, about 10 lakh votes were cast for the nominees in the second round. Finally, 23 winners were selected, including three from abroad.
The award covers twenty categories, such as the Best Storyteller Award, the Disruptor of the Year, the Celebrity Creator of the Year, the Green Champion Award, the Best Creator for Social Change, the Most Impactful Agri Creator, the Cultural Ambassador of the Year, and the International Creator Award.
Other categories are the Best Travel Creator Award, the Swachhta Ambassador Award, the New India Champion Award, the Tech Creator Award, the Heritage Fashion Icon Award, the Most Creative Creator (Male and Female), the Best Creator in Food Category, the Best Creator in Education Category, the Best Creator in Gaming Category, the Best Micro Creator, the Best Nano Creator, and the Best Health and Fitness Creator.