Ninder Ghugianvi awarded Senior Research Fellowship by Ministry of Culture
Babushahi Bureau
Faridkot (Punjab), June 20, 2026: Renowned Punjabi writer and folk culture researcher Ninder Ghugianvi has been awarded the Senior Research Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, through the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), New Delhi. A resident of Ghugiana village in Faridkot district of Punjab, Ghugianvi has been granted this prestigious fellowship for a period of two years.
Under the fellowship, he will undertake an extensive research project on the theme “125 Years of Punjabi Singing.”
As part of the project, he will write a comprehensive book documenting the evolution and development of Punjabi music over the last century and a quarter. The book will be published by the Ministry of Culture upon completion of the research.
Ninder Ghugianvi is widely known for his significant contributions to Punjabi folk culture, literature, and cultural studies.
He gained particular recognition through his acclaimed book Judge da Ardali . Earlier, he served as a Writer-in-Residence at Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, and as a Professor of Practice at the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.
Remarkably, despite having received formal education only up to the ninth grade, Ghugianvi has established himself as a distinguished literary figure. Several M.Phil. and Ph.D. scholars at various universities have conducted research on his literary works, and six of his books have been included in the curricula of different universities.
It is noteworthy that eminent Punjabi literary figures Ram Sarup Ankhi and Dalip Kaur Tiwana had also previously received this prestigious fellowship and carried out important research projects under its aegis. Literary and cultural circles have warmly welcomed the announcement of the fellowship, describing it as a matter of pride for Punjabi language, literature, and folk heritage.