The Jnanpith Award is presented to any Indian citizen who publishes in India's eighth scheduled language. The Jnanpith Award was first presented in 1965. It is administered by the Government of India through the Department of Culture, Ministry of Culture. The award consists of a gold medal and a cash prize. The amount of the prize money is 25000 rupees (approximately $500). The winner is chosen by an expert panel appointed by the government. The jury is selected from among prominent writers, journalists, orators, film directors, actors, musicians, and scientists living or dead. The award ceremony is held annually in January in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in his annual speech at the Raisina Dialogue conference that the upcoming year's award would be given to APJ Abdul Kalam for his contributions to science and technology. Kalam died in August 2016 at the age of 95. The award ceremony was postponed this year due to the death of Kalam. It will be held next year on January 4, 2018. Modi has also been criticized for giving the award to Kalam despite allegations that he had ties with Russia post-1991 when Moscow banned American products.