President Murmu Presents Awards at 65th National Exhibition of Art 2026

President Droupadi Murmu awarded prizes to the participants of the 65th National Exhibition of Art and the 3rd Print Biennale India 2026 that took place in New Delhi on 21 October 2026. This award ceremony was organized by Lalit Kala Akademi in conjunction with the Union Ministry of Culture for the artists who are active in the field of visual arts and printmaking. The 65th National Exhibition featured 6,175 artworks presented by 2,495 artists from 27 states and Union Territories. Out of all these artworks, 270 were selected for exhibition and 20 artists were granted prizes.

Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Exhibition of Art

Lalit Kala Akademi is the National Academy of Art of India founded in 1954 under the Union Ministry of Culture for development and promotion of visual arts in the country.

The National Exhibition of Art was launched in 1955. The first National Exhibition of Art took place in Jaipur House, New Delhi, and about 1,200 works of art were displayed at the exhibition. With time, the exhibition evolved into one of the most significant exhibitions of the Indian contemporary art.

In the 2026 exhibition, the selection was carried out in the two different tiers,

• 270 works were selected for the exhibition in the first tier.
• In the second tier, 20 works by 20 artists were selected for the Lalit Kala Akademi Awards.

Key Details of the 65th National Exhibition of Art 2026

20 Artists Awarded Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

The awards include various art forms such as paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and others. The list also illustrates the range of mediums employed by Indian artists, which include terracotta, ceramics, teak wood, marble, copper, etching and canvases.

What is the Print Biennale India?

Biennale is an event that takes place once in two years. Print Biennale India is the event where artists display their prints, play around with techniques and interact with Indian and foreign artists.

Printmaking refers to the form of art where the image is made on a plate, block or screen and is printed on paper or other medium. Popular techniques in printmaking are etching, woodcut, lithography, and screen-printing.

The 3rd Print Biennale India was conducted along with the 65th National Exhibition of Art in 2026. President Murmu felicitated the Grand Prize winners and artists who won Honourable Mentions.

Address by President Murmu and Important Points Made

President Droupadi Murmu termed art as an expression of the culture, tradition, and civilisational progress of India. She stressed that it was essential to preserve art in its traditional forms, but at the same time encouraged innovation.

Other important points made in her speech were as follows,

• Offering chances to upcoming artists to nurture their talents and experiment with different media.
• Enhancing people’s involvement in art and making artworks available to them.
• Encouraging rural artists and keeping the native art traditions alive.
• Recognizing printmaking as an artistic genre.

The Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gifted President Murmu a Gond painting, which is one of the indigenous arts of India.