Bhubaneswar: Eminent linguist Dr Devi Prasanna Patnaik will be honoured with the first World Oriya Language Award at the World Odia Language Conference scheduled to be held from February 3. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will award prize money of Rs 20 lakh and a certificate to Dr Devi Prasanna for his service to the Odia language and literature.
A professor, a linguist, a social scientist, and an author, Dr Devi Prasanna was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987.
Dr Devi Prasanna’s name was recommended for the honour by a committee headed by the president of the Indian Language Council and former professor of the Department of Linguistics, University of Hyderabad, G Uma Maheshwar Rao, Vice-Chancellor of Odia University Prof Sabita Pradhan, Vice-Chancellor Of the Utkal University of Culture PK Swain and the Project Director of Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Odia of Indian government Prof Basant Kumar Panda.
