Karnataka Urdu Academy has announced Academy awards to 30 writers, journalists, organisations and students besides five books, for 2007-08. Awards are likely to be given away here on March 17.

Five persons have been selected for their work in promoting Urdu. They are: Dr Majid Dagi (prose), Mayal Tumkuri (poetry), Iftekhar Ahmed Sharif (journalism), Taj Mohammed Khan (education) and A M Pathan, Maulana Azad Urdu University Vice-Chancellor.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a citation, a memento and a shawl.
Five books selected for the award are: Khabon Ki Besakhiyan by Anil Thakkar, Noor-o-Shaoor by Muhsin Chitaldurgi, Rush-hate Qalam by Shakila Giri Khan, Ujli Khushboo by Razzaq Afsar and Alfaz Ki Duniya by Dr Haleema Firdaus.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5,000. Eleven persons have been selected for Swarna Karnataka Awards. They are: Prof Abdul Majeed Khan, Venkappa Kamil Kaladgi, Bangalore Muslim Library, Samiulla Khan Baaz, Mohammed Iqbal, Mohammed Farooq, Azeemuddin Azeem, Yusuf Arifi, Ahmed Khan Munsiff, Fareeda Rahmatulla and Qaiser Rehan.

It carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a citation. In the university-level essay competition, Farheen Begum (Gulbarga University), Moinuddin and Syed Saadat Ali (both from Bangalore University) stood first, second and third respectively. In the junior college category, Mohsina M Maniyar (SECAB PU College, Bijapur), Sheikh Zakaria (GPU College, Chikmagalur) and Tasleem Begum (Bangalore) bagged first, second and third places.