The Secretary of Katha (UK) and a well-known writer himself Tejinder Sharma released the information that this year the TENTH INTERNATIONAL INDU SHARMA KATHA SAMMAAN will be awarded to noted writer VIBHUTI NARAIN RAI for his novel TABAADALA. The award consists of a return air-ticket India-London-India (Sponsored by Air India) Visa Fees for the United Kingdom, a shield, a shawl, one week's stay in London and visit to important tourist sites in and around London. The award will be presented in a tasteful function to be held at the Nehru Centre London on 26th June 2004.

Indu Sharma Katha Sammaan was instituted in the memory of promising writer Indu Sharma who succumbed to cancer at a young age. The past recipients of the Indu Sharma Katha Sammaan have been Geetanjlishri (1995), Dhirendra Asthana (1996), Akhilesh (1997), Devendra (1998) Manoj Rupra (1999), Chitra Mudgal (2000), Sanjiv (2001), Gyan Chaturvedi (2002) and S.R. Harnot (2003). Mr. Vibhuti Narain Rai is presently posted at Lucknow as the Inspector General of Police. Besides Tabaadala, Mr. Rai is well known for his novels Ghar, Shehar mein Curfew, Kissa Loktantra. While his collection of satires EK Chhaatra Neta ka Roznaamacha was noticed by critics, his research work Saampradaayik Dangey aur Bharatiya Police stirred a hornet’s nest in the police and political circles.