Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla and five others from Uttar Pradesh have been chosen to be honoured with a state award for making remarkable contributions in diverse fields and bringing laurels to the state at the national and international level.
The ‘Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman’ will be felicitated to the five distinguished luminaries during a three-day event that begins today, on Uttar Pradesh Day 2026.
Union home minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the programme that is being organised this year at the newly-constructed Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, said the UP government in a statement on Friday.
The personalities chosen to be honoured include those who have made contributions in areas such as space science, education, literature, women empowerment and agriculture.
Shubhanshu Shukla, a Lucknow boy, created history by reaching the International Space Station (ISS) after launch by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 26, 2025, becoming the first Indian astronaut to set foot on ISS. Among Indians who went to space, he is only the second after Rakesh Sharma.
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The others to be felicitated include Alakh Pandey, who started the ‘Physics Wala’ YouTube channel in 2016; Dr. Hariom Panwar, a poet and professor of law at Meerut College who works for the education and welfare of the underprivileged from income earned by selling his literary works; Rashmi Arya, who established Shrimad Dayanand Arya Kanya Gurukul in Meerut in 2007; and Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, whose research on flood-tolerant Sub-1 rice has earned him international recognition.
Pandey’s Physics Wala app, which was launched in 2020, has benefited numerous students by providing affordable and quality education. The Prayagraj-born Pandey’s company became India’s sixth edtech unicorn in 2022.
Dr. Panwar, who was born in Butna village of Bulandshahr, has penned poems like ‘Kala Dhan’, ‘Ghati Ke Dil Ki Dhadkan’, ‘Main Marte Loktantra Ka Bayan Hoon’ and ‘Bagi Hain Hum, Inquilab Ke Geet Sunate Jayenge’, and contributed immensely to literature and education. He uses the income from his literary works for the education of poor children and the welfare of deprived sections, according to the official statement.
Rashmi Arya will be honoured for her contribution to women empowerment through her gurukul-style school, Shrimad Dayanand Arya Kanya Gurukul in Meerut, which has a blend of Vedic culture and modern education. Offering free education to over 600 needy girls, it has helped students achieve success at national and international levels in board exams, Gita-Ashtadhyayi competitions, yoga, archery and jump rope.
The last of the recipients of the state honour, Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, is a resident of Varanasi, and will be awarded for his distinct achievements in the agriculture sector. A gold medalist in agriculture studies from Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, Dr. Singh is a PhD-holder from IRRI, Philippines, and dedicated 29 years to giving a new direction to sustainable agriculture.
Currently, the director of ISARC, Varanasi, his research on flood-tolerant Sub-1 rice earned him global laurels. He has also led international projects like BMGF, World Bank and USAID.
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