Dr Pathak, also a Padma Bhushan, was chosen for the award for spearheading the Sulabh sanitation movement and for his efforts to uplift the down-trodden sections of the society, besides paying attention towards improvement of condition of the widows from Bengal who have been languishing in the ashrams of Vrindavan.
The award is conferred to a person from outside of West Bengal who has made a remarkable contribution to uphold the culture of Bengal throughout the country and abroad, academy secretary Bidhan Dutta said.