Bhopal, Sep 18 - The Madhya Pradesh government has instituted five national awards for social service and achievements in academic and cultural fields, state Culture and Public Relations Minister Laxmikant Sharma announced Friday.

Sharma told a press conference here that the Maharshi Ved Vyas Rashtriya Samman would be conferred on Vidya Bharti and the Maharaja Agrasen Rashtriya Samman on Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, for social service.

'The Maharshi Ved Vyas Rashtriya Samman would be conferred on Vidya Bharti for its contribution and creativity in the field of education,' he said.

Altogether 56 state and regional committees were affiliated with Vidya Bharti, which was teaching Indian culture to more than 1.7 million students through 74,000 teachers in over 13,000 educational institutions.

Similarly, he said, the Ramakrishna Mission, which was registered in 1909, has become world famous for its social services in various fields including education and health.