Why it is in the news
On 16 September 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced that veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024, on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him, citing his mark on Indian cinema, 'particularly Kannada cinema'.
The exam angle
Thesis: National cultural honours are instruments of nation-building that must reflect India's linguistic and regional plurality.