Shree Kanjibhai Desai Gujarat Pratibha Award (Pride of Gujarat) of 2015 will be felicitated to renowned laureate, Dr. Kumarpal Desai by Vishwa Gujaratri Samaj. With this award, he is to be bestowed with a Letter of Honour, Cash Award of One Lakh Rupees and a Memento.
The former president of Sahitya Parishad, Kumarpal Desai has written about 125 books in Gujarati, Hindi and English on biography, criticism, research, philosophy, translations, stories and Jain philosophy. Kumarpal Desai, the retired as the Director of Gujarat University’s School of Languages and Dean of Faculty of Arts, Gujarat University. Currently he is the Professor at Jain Vishwa Bharti Institute.
In the field of Journalism he has contributed much. Kumarpal Desai has written for Gujarat Samachar since 1962. Shree Jaybhikhkhu, the laureate and father of Kumarpal Desai began a column titled ‘Iint ane Imarat’ (ઈન્ટ અને ઇમારત) in 1953. After his demise in 1969, Dr. Kumarpal Desai took over writing in that column and even today he continues to write for the same column. This is certainly a unique example in the history of journalism that a father and the son have been continuously writing a column for 67 years.
As a thinker and scholar of Jain philosophy, Kumarpal Desai has visited many countries abroad. At present, Shri Kumarpal Desai is managing the ‘Gujarati Vishvakosh’ (Gujarati Encyclopedia) Institute – first of its kind. He has moulded that Institute in to a lively cultural institute of Gujarat.
He has been active in the field of humanitarian work by being an International Director of Eye Care Foundation and as the Trustee of Anukumpa Trust and Sulabh Health and Heart Care Centre.
He is the Managing Trustee of Institute of Jainology.
The Government of India had conferred on him the coveted Padmashri Award on 26th January, 2004, in recognition of his invaluable contribution to education, literature and culture at the hand of the then President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Moreover, Kumarpal Desai has spread the fragrance of Gujarat through literature, education, philosophy, journalism, humanitarian work and the creation of Gujarat Vishwakosh Institute throughout India and abroad,