OdishaLIVE Bureau
‘Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Jeevan Samman’ to recognize Change Agents in India, saw 12 Individuals and 9 Organisations from diversesectors receive the prestigious award.
Three awards were bagged by the state of Odisha. Award for lifelong contribution in the field of human development was given to Dr. (Prof) Prasanna Kumar Patasani, Member of Parliament (16th Lok Sabha), Odisha for his contributions in the field of literature and education. Maa Ghara Foundation Trust also received the coveted honour along with Social entreprenuer Vikash Das from Odisha..
The ceremony held at the Kamani auditorium honoured the winners with the title of ‘Swayamsiddh Shri’ and a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, along with a certificate of appreciation to acknowledge and support their work.
The awards have been conferred across 11 categories viz. Indomitable Courage; Women Empowerment; Agriculture &Rural Development; Innovation &Technology; Public Service; Health; Education; Sports; Art & Culture; Environment; and Entrepreneurship& Livelihood.
The esteemed awardees included:
Shalini Saraswathi
Uddhab Bharali
Subhasini Mistry,
S Murugan
Akash Chaurasia
Gazi Jallauddin
Winners in the Organisation category include Maa ghara Foundation Trust, Odisha working to stop atrocities on women and restore their human rights with dignity;
Gramin Samaj Kalyan VikasManch, Jharkhand whose TB Care & Control project that has benefited over 12000 individuals till date;
Khamir Craft Resource Centre, Gujarat is working with 150 craft units in Kachchh region.
Alombro Mayu Yaku Chi Amey Aroga (popularly called AAMYA) from Arunachal Pradesh, has promoted 20 farmer’s clubs to be organised into Producer Organisations for systematic marketing of the agri-horticulture products.
Mr. Naveen Jindal, Chairman – Jindal Steel & Power Limited, opined –“The courage, commitment and confidence of these Individuals & Organizations is an inspiration for all of us to overcome the challenges of life and I am sure these untold stories of courage will go a long way in inspiring others to work towards the development of our great nation.”
Ms. Shallu Jindal, President, JSPL Foundation said “The Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman is an initiative to recognise and acknowledge such people from the grassroot level, who rarely receive any appreciation for their good work so that others too can draw inspiration from them”
The Swayamsiddh Samman was instituted in 2015 to reward and nurture grass-root change makers and encourage unsung heroes who overcame adversities to create their own unique identity. The first ever Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman in 2016 was conferred on 29 individuals and organisations across the country from different walks of life.
OP Jindal Global University was the Knowledge Partner of the Second Edition of the Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman. The regional juries comprised of prominent people from academia, business enterprises and civil society actively involved in the development sector.
Also present on the occasion were Smt. Savitri Jindal, Chairperson Emeritus, Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Shri Naveen Jindal, Chairman, JSPL and Smt. Shallu Jindal, President, JSPL Foundation.
