Achievers 2015

Debasish Das

Block: BL

Won: National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2015 

When: December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities

What: Twenty-six-year-old Das has cerebral palsy with hydrocephalus. He can barely speak and relies on a wheelchair most of the time. But he write poetry, having come out with four Bengali books over the last few years. Earlier this month he received the award from minister Arun Jaitley in the category of “Award for the Outstanding Creative Adult Persons with Disabilities”. 

Sourav Chatterjee 

Block: Labony Estate 

Won: Khel Samman from the state government 

When: January 

What: Sourav, a 24-year-old badminton player, received the award from chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Netaji Indoor Stadium. Sourav has been playing since 2001 in the university and state level and has even represented India in the Universiade (sports for university students by the International University Sports Federation) in China a few years ago. Sourav is now pursuing his MPhil and trains at the SAI complex. 

Deepta Chakravartty 

Block: DB

Won: Environmentalist of the Year award from the Scientific & Environmental Research Institute, Calcutta and Confederation of Indian Universities 

When: World Environment Day, June 5

What: Chakravartty is a research scholar in the department of oceanography in Techno India University, Sector V. He received the award for his work in developing sustainable fish feed that would increase yield without polluting the water they live in. His company Nature Nerve is now working on the tiger shrimp population in the Sundarbans and talks are on with fish farmers of the Mahishbathan bheris too. “Tiger shrimps in the Sundarbans have traditionally been feed dehydrated trash fish (shutki) that pollute the water and are endangering the mangroves,” said Chakravartty. “We have now introduced feed that is herbal.” 

Anil Krishna Kar

Block: CJ 

Won: Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He also received an Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) lifetime award from the ICI. Moreover he won the Professional Practise Ethics and Leadership award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and Geoprofessional Business Association. 

When: The first award was in March, the next two in October. 

What: Kar started off as an engineer but he now also runs his firm Engineering Services International. His research pertains to technology that could increase the longevity of reinforced concrete structures. 

Pratima Chatterjee

Block: DA 

Won: Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa Gold Medal Award from the Global Economic Progress and Research Association, a society based in Tamil Nadu 

When: March 

What: A doctorate in physiology, Chatterjee specialises in the use of antioxidant vitamin E supplements on female athletes. She received this award for her contribution in the field of education towards national economic growth. Chatterjee travels all over the world to attend seminars on her subject and during her career has worked with 
athletes like P.T. Usha, Olympic bronze medalist weightlifter Karnam Malleswari, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar and weightlifter Chhaya Adak.