Vice President Dhankhar to confer Shilpa Guru and national awards to craftspersons tomorrow

New Delhi, Nov 27: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will confer Shilp Guru and National Awards to artisans for their contribution to Indian handicraft on Monday.

"The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar will be the Chief Guest of the award ceremony. The Union Minister of Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal will preside over the function. Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways and Textiles will be the Guest of Honour at the event," the Ministry of Textiles said in a statement.

The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) has been implementing the scheme of National Awards for master craftspersons since 1965 and Shilp Guru Awards was introduced in 2002.

"These Awards are being conferred every year to legendary master craftspersons of handicrafts whose work and dedication have contributed not only to the preservation of rich and diverse craft heritage of the country but also to the resurgence of handicraft sector as a whole. The main objective is to give recognition to outstanding craftspersons in the handicrafts sector," the statement said.

The awardees represent almost all states and UTs of the country, as well as different craft styles of different locations.

According to the Ministry of Textiles, due to pandemic, the awards for the last three years are being conferred together.

"The Handicrafts Sector plays a significant and important role in the country's economy. It provides employment to a vast segment of craftsperson in rural and semi urban areas and generates substantial foreign exchange for the country, while preserving its cultural heritage. The Handicrafts sector continues to contribute substantially to employment generation and exports," it added.

Shilp Guru is an award conferred by Government of India every year to the master craftspersons in innovating different styles and designs of the traditional craftsmanship, to continue with the highest level of aesthetic character, quality and skill in the traditional Indian Handicrafts .

The Ministry of Textiles will be organising Shilp Guru and National Awards to master craftpersons for the year 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The award is presented along with Sant Kabir Awards and National Awards to Master Craftspersons and master weavers, introduced in 1965.