Zubeen Garg National Award for Environmental Reporting Announced : 53rd Birth Anniversary Celebrations Held

Zubeen Garg’s 53rd Birth Anniversary Celebrations Held  

PTI, DELHI BUREAU NEW DELHI, NOV 18, 2025 : The South Asia Climate Change Journalists' Forum has announced the launch of a new annual national award to recognise outstanding journalism on environmental and nature-related issues.

The honour -- titled the 'Zubeen Garg National Award for Environmental Reporting' -- commemorates the late iconic singer Zubeen Garg, celebrated for his deep commitment to environmental protection. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and will be conferred on one journalist from anywhere in India.

Forum president Ashish Gupta stated that there will be no application process. The recipient will be chosen solely on the decision of an independent jury which will assess impactful environmental stories published or broadcast during the year. "Detailed guidelines on the jury's selection process will be released soon," Gupta added.

Announcing the initiative at a press conference at the Assam Media Centre here on Tuesday, members of the Forum highlighted the growing importance of environmental journalism as India faces escalating climate-related challenges.

Journalists working across print, digital, television, radio, and multimedia platforms will be eligible for consideration. Forum member Kallol Bhowmik said the award aims to encourage meaningful reporting and inspire journalists to bring urgent environmental concerns to the forefront of public discourse.

The Forum reaffirmed its commitment to supporting journalists who strive to raise awareness about pressing environmental issues across the country.

The first 'Zubeen Garg National Award for Environmental Reporting' will be presented in New Delhi in 2026, on the birth anniversary of Zubeen Garg, in the presence of senior journalists, environmental specialists and civil society representatives.

Zubeen Garg’s 53rd Birth Anniversary Celebrations Held (2025)

PTI, GUWAHATI, NOV 18, 2025 :  The 53rd birth anniversary celebrations of Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg, who died on September 19, were being held across the state on Tuesday, with several organisations, including political parties, organising day-long programmes in his honour.

Garg's fans gathered outside his Kahilipara residence at midnight to cut a cake and placed it before his photograph, with his wife Garima Saikia Garg and sister Palmee Borthakur also present on the occasion. The fans sang the birthday song, and also many of his popular songs to ring in the celebrations, the first after his death.

Fans from across the state also gathered at 'Zubeen Kshetra', where he was cremated, to pay their tributes by offering 'gamosas' (traditional scarves) and flowers, lighting lamps and singing his songs.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his tribute to Garg, said, "Some presence fades from sight but shines brighter in memory." "Today, we honour the enduring legacy of an artist who was, will and forever be our heartthrob. That of our #BelovedZubeen. Forever in our hearts," the chief minister posted on X.

The ruling BJP in the state will organise a blood donation camp. The opposition Congress will organise a commemorative programme, 'Kanchanjunga-Sanskriti Houk Maitreyir Mantra' (culture be the mantra of harmony) to honour his memory, celebrate his cultural contributions and reaffirm the party's continued commitment to secure justice for him.

Assam Pradesh Congress President Gaurav Gogoi will be present on the occasion, which will be an evening of "remembrance, reverence and collective reflection", a party spokesperson said. NDA alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) will observe the day as 'Jatiya Swabhiman Diwas' (National Self-respect Day) by organising a tribute ceremony at the party headquarters, where a blood donation camp will be held, along with rendition of Garg's popular songs and planting of saplings.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has taken up a three-day programme to commemorate the singer's birthday since Sunday across all district headquarters, organising art camps, cycle rallies and planting of saplings. The All Assam Zubeen Garg Fan Club will also hold programmes across the state to mark his birth anniversary.

Garg was born at Tura in Meghalaya on November 18, 1972. He died on September 19 this year in Singapore, where he had gone to participate in the North East India Festival (NEIF), while swimming in the sea during a yacht trip.