lalit kala akademi awarded him their fellowship in 1987. he was also fellow of the up state lalit kala akademi (184) and unesco. the government of india awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of the padma shri, in 1991. bisht, who was the vice president of the uttar pradesh state lalit kala akademi, died in 1998, aged 70. he was married to vimala, a ceramic and terracotta artist and the couple had three daughters and one son.