The award is given by the Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, which wad founded in 1960 and is registered under the Societies' Registration Act of 1890 and the Bombay Public Trust of 1950.

Prof Panikkar, who served as a teacher in MSU's Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Department of Art History, for 24 years, will organise an international conference with the Association of Academics, Artists and Citizens For University Autonomy (ACUA) and India Foundation of Arts (IFA), Banglore, next month.

"Although I was present at the 49th anniversary of Rachana Sansad, I had no idea about the award," said Prof Panikkar, who has written two books on Art History, besides penning more than 30 papers in his academic discipline.

Talking about the international conference with ACUA and IFA, Prof Panikkar said: "I had planned the conference for FFA long back, but I was suspended by the varsity. The conference will be held near FFA premises, so that it can be attended by the students and teachers from MSU."

Meanwhile, Prof Panikkar was not allowed by the varsity to enter the FFA Fair held this month. It didn't even permit him to claim his books in the faculty.

Sources further informed that he was not allowed to use MSU Pavilion, DN Hall Ground and Health Centre.