Advani, Nair chosen for Malayalee Sangh awards

Bhopal, Nov 3 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani has been selected for the Great Adi Shankara Award for Spiritual and Cultural Integration while Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair has been chosen for the Great Aryabhatta Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievements.

The awards, instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Malayalee Sangh at its meeting here yesterday, comprised cash awards of Rs 50,000 each and citations, a release said.

The honours would be bestowed at the Sangh's All-India Conference scheduled here in April 2009.

The meeting witnessed the announcement of Advocate Soman K Menon as the Sangh's President.

Mr O Rajagopal -- who is former Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs -- is the Sangh's Chief Patron, the release added.

UNI AC NY HT1832