4 social workers honored for contribution to education, health, women welfare and Gandhian values

Mumbai: The 46th Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Awards were presented to four eminent social workers for their contribution in education, health, employment and spreading Gandhian values.

These awards promote Gandhian values ​​and ideologies of Jamnalal Bajaj. Awards for creative work and application of science and technology for rural development were instituted in 1978. The award for the development and welfare of women and children was instituted in 1980 in the memory of Padma Vibhushan Janakidevi Bajaj, wife of Jamnalal Bajaj. The international award, established in 1988, is awarded to an individual of foreign nationality for 'promoting Gandhian values ​​outside India'.

A cash prize of Rs 20 lakh for each award was presented on Wednesday, November 13 in Mumbai. The chief guest at the awards ceremony was Dr. Abhay Bang, Founder and Director, Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health.

Rashmi Bharti from Uttarakhand, who received the award for 'Application of Science and Technology for Rural Development', has spent more than three decades creating sustainable livelihoods and cooperatives, empowering local communities and preserving traditional crafts. Due to which more than 2,000 artisans have benefited.

With her husband Rajneesh, she founded Avni, which revived hand-spinning and weaving, creating employment opportunities. Avani has helped install 3,000 solar lights in 25 villages, bringing renewable energy access to remote communities.

Dr Tulsi Munda, 86, from Odisha, who received the award for 'Development and Welfare of Women and Children', is fondly known as 'Tulsi Apa' after working throughout her life to help tribal communities. Founder and Secretary of the Tribal Development Committee, she used education and social reform for more than six decades to transform the lives of marginalized people in mining areas. He taught himself to read and write and began educating others at an early age, eventually teaching more than 20,000 children. Through all this, he promoted the Gandhian principles of self-rule and village swaraj. He has arbitrated labor disputes in the region.

International award recipient Reverend Eric Kumedisa of the Democratic Republic of Congo is an academic and pastor who has dedicated his life to promoting peace and Gandhian principles. He founded the Gandhi Bhikshu Community and inspired individuals through education, non-violence advocacy and community initiatives.

He founded the Gandhi Institute of Science and Peace in Kikwit which offers courses on rural economy, peace education and inter-religious theology. Their other work includes publication and free distribution of materials on Gandhian ideas, a community FM radio station and skills training.

Girija Nandan, a recipient of the 'Award for Constructive Work', has dedicated his life to furthering Gandhian ideals in Bihar and Jharkhand. He co-founded Nav Bharat Jagruti Kendra in 1971, which provides education, health care, and advocacy for social justice and inter-caste harmony. He began his journey working with political leader Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan during the famine in Odisha and Bihar.