KNOW THE AWARDEES

Surya Prakash Rai from Bihar: He runs a community library in a small village in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, with 400 students.

Sharda Radhakrishnan from Bengal: She runs a hospital for animals in Sonarpur.

Moirangthem Muktamani Devi from Manipur: In 1989, Muktamani Devi couldn’t afford a pair of shoes for her daughter and today she exports shoes to Australia, the UK, France, Mexico and some African countries. Over the years she has also helped train many unemployed women in Manipur so that they could earn a living making shoes.

Eva Katherina Kleekamm from Bengal: She admitted 25 children to school and pays for their education from her own savings and with some help from friends in Germany. 

Jamuna Tuddu from Jharkhand: She is from Muturkham village in Chakulia, Jharkhand, and has been protecting forests in the area since she was 18.

Subhas Datta from Bengal: He is an environmentalist who has been fighting to reduce pollution. 

Simon Oraon from Jharkhand: He is a Class I dropout who built five irrigation reservoirs and later worked towards mass tree plantation, digging of wells and ponds in the Bero block near Ranchi that covers 51 villages.

Sankar Halder from Bengal: He is an IT professional who founded a non-profit organisation called Mukti in the Sunderbans. They have arranged sponsorship for 129 students from backward families in 2017-2018.

Thyelnai Dawn Khaling from Manipur: He is a doctor and an Indian Air Force wing commander who has set up a classroom in his house for children whose parents cannot afford to send them to school.

Vikash Das from Odisha: He has built a network of nearly 2,300 women across Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bengal to help them become financially independent.

Rosalin Patasani Mishra from Odisha: She is the founder of Parichay Foundation that works for empowerment of women, education for underprivileged children and promotion of Odiya art and culture. 

Text: Malancha Dasgupta. Pictures: Rashbehari Das