Keasavadev awards presented to journalist, endocrinologist

The 17th P. Kesavadev Awards have been presented to veteran journalist Thomas Jacob and noted endocrinologist Dr. Shashnak R. Joshi.

V. Sivankutty, Minister of Education and Labour, presented the awards -- the Literary Award to Mr. Jacob and the Diabscreen Kerala award to Dr. Joshi -- at a virtual award ceremony organised by the P. Kesavadev Trust, which instituted the awards in the name of the yesteryear writer-activist to acknowledge seminal contributions in the field of literature and public health education.

Each of the awards carries a purse of ₹50,000, a citation and a sculpture designed by B.D. Dathan.

Mr. Sivankutty said that in addition to being a unique writer in Malayalam, P. Kesavadev stood for humanity, secularism and held a rare courage to speak against injustices through his writing and life.

Former diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan expresse the hope that the values of humanity upheld by P. Kesavadev in his writings would last forever.

Seethalekshmi Dev, chairperson of P. Kesavadev Trust, chaired the event.