Besides Rukhsana, who had shown exemplary courage to take on a militant commander who barged into her house in Rajouri, her brother Aijaz Ahmed also received the award.
Other awardees included singers Shameema Azad, wife of Union Minister Gulam Nabi Azad, Raj Begum, historian Fida Hasnain, noted actor Pran Kishore, poet Rehman Rahi, Director, Doordarshan Srinagar, Rafeeq Masoodi, journalists Sumir Kaul (PTI), M K Bangroo (former PTI correspondent), Nidhi Razdan (NDTV), Masood Hussain (Economic Times), Arun Joshi (Hindustan Times) and Saleem Pandit (Times of India). The awards were presented for the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was present at the function held for the first time since the inception of the awards four years ago.
The award distribution ceremony had to be postponed for three consecutive years due to summer unrest in the Valley.