JOIN US Well known cardiac surgeon Devi Prasad Shetty and tiger expert Ullas Karanth, both from Karnataka, have been chosen for the prestigious civilian awards Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri respectively for the year 2012.
Besides, Yakshagana expert Ramachandra Subraya Hegde Chittani, theatre personality R Nagarathnamma, Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan (in the field of science and engineering), all from Karnataka, have bagged Padma Shri.
Shetty, 58, founded Narayana Hrudayalaya, a multi specialty hospital in Bangalore. He also founded Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Kolkata. Shetty, who has performed over 15,000 heart operations, was instrumental in the launch of the state government’s Yashasvini programme. Billed as the world’s cheapest comprehensive health insurance scheme, it is replicated by several states.
Kota Ullas Karanth, a conservation zoologist and leading tiger expert, is the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society India Programme. Son of Shivaram Karanth, celebrated Kannada writer, he has conducted country-wide surveys to better estimate their population and habitat needs.
Chittani has been awarded Padma Shri for popularising Yakshagana in the rural areas. Known for making the folk art form entertaining through the ‘Badagu Thittu’ style as against the classical mode, Chittani, in his mid-70s now, is known for playing anti-hero roles such as of Kamsa, Duryodhana, etc.
Nagarathnamma, born in 1926, was a Kannada theatre personality who led an all-female troupe and became famous for male impersonation. Although she had little formal education, she was attracted to Kannada theatre at a very early age of 12 years. She started her professional career in the play Tukaram.
Having worked in several professional troupes, Nagarathnamma established in 1958 an all-women Stri Nataka Mandali in Bangalore where women acted as heroes and also directed the plays. Her drama company travelled across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Punjab. She also acted in Kannada and Tamil films.
Y S Rajan, who has authored and co-authored many books including more than 200 articles and papers, has been a close associate of former President of India Dr Abdul Kalam. An authority in the field of technology development and business management, Rajan is now based in Bangalore.