A group of 20 fishermen from Mangalore, who saved lives of 21 navigators on board a ship which sank near Mangalore coast in June, two institutions and nine other individuals received special annual awards from Governor on the occasion of Independence Day in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Governor T N Chaturvedi presented the awards in a simple function organised at Raj Bhavan.

Master Kishan, world’s youngest film director, A R Shivakumar, researcher and an expert in rainwater harvesting system, Kum Vaishnavi Kasturi, who had scored nearly 90 per cent mark in B Com despite suffering from low vision and had recently fought legal battle with Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore seeking details of selection procedure under the Right to Information Act, were among the nine individuals conferred with the awards for their achievements.

Master Siddaraju, a seventh standard student, who had recently saved a boy from drowning in a lake near Tumkur on July 29; Vidwan T Sunandaraj (81), a Mrudangam artiste who is teaching Mrudangam to young children despite his disability; P V Nagaraj and  Kum E Pushpalatha, both outstanding blind students of National Association for the Blind, K C Janardhan, an epileptic, engaged in sensitising people to over the disease and S C Naganandaswamy, expert in aquatic adventure also received awards.

Pramod Putran, Rajesh Kotian, Sunil Bangera, Bharathesha Putran, Sudheer Suvarna, Vikram Mendon, Jeevan, Sadiq, Hassan, Zakir Hussain, Yashwant P Ameen, Rajesh Putran, Harish Kanchan, Yashpal Kanchan, Varun Salian, Shankar Bangera, Vikram Putran, Sharath Karkera, Rajesh and Altaf had saved the navigators of Iritria ship which sank near Taneer Bavi on June 23.

Spastic Society of Karnataka, Bangalore and Malleshwaram Arya Vysya Sangha, Bangalore have received awards for their service for physically and mentally challenged persons and aged destitutes respectively.

While nine individuals were presented with a shawl, a memento and cash prize of Rs 10,000 each, the two institutions were presented with Rs 20,000 cash award each.

Each member of the fishermen group from Mangalore have been presented with a certificate and Rs 2,000 each cash award.