The 22nd Academic Council of the Royal Nepal Academy (RNA) Wednesday requested His Majesty the King to accept the patronage of the Academy, an announcement said.

A resolution was passed by a meeting chaired by Prime Minister and Chancellor the of the Academy Lokendra Bahadur Chand. The meeting decided to award the Mahendra Pragya Puraskar 2058 to Kamal Mani Dixit for his contribution to Nepali literature and culture.

The award is presented once every two years. The meeting also decided to award the Indra Rajya Laxmi Pragyan Puraskar 2058 to senior singer Koili Devi Mathema.