Lawyer-Biraja Mahapatra(2010-11)
Biraja Mahapatra is a practicing lawyer in Delhi High Court. Mahapatra is one of the Founder members and the brain behind civil society Build India Group. He has a dream mission of the idea of one India - India first, through a unique model of mass communication bringing all religious institutions together for the purpose of nation building which no body has ever thought in this country. Mahapatra has conceptualized “Citizens’ pledge festival” for unleashing societal contempt against terrorism and corruption while promoting in each individual love for the country. This festival has to be ushered in by all religious institutions across the country together at a fixed time. This is the first movement that gives equal importance to all languages, all individuals and all faiths. The citizens’ pledge originally written by him in English has been translated in 14 languages and all these are circulating in educational institutions across the country. Mahapatra believes that it is high time that India attaches a sense of respect to politics as a subject of management right from the school level so that more and more committed people join politics. He believes that food, healthcare, education and employment should be available to citizens as a matter of fundamental right in their own milieu and this cannot be done unless politics is respected as a subject of management of resources right from Panchayat level. Mahapatra says Hating Politics is a crime against democracy.
Doctor-Dr Sunita Dube(2010-11)
Dr Sunita Dube, a pioneering sonologist and radiologist, established the Aryan Group of Hospitals in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs as she feels that our society needs more hospitals especially where people don’t have access to good healthcare. Dr Dube, states that “Being a successful doctor goes beyond medical achievements. It’s about reaching and engaging with the community.” With this thought in mind she decided that the medical profession needed a platform where various entities, both medical and paramedical, and the community could come together to network and pool their resources. That’s how Medscape was conceived. Dr Dube’s palette has grown to include pioneering education program for medical professionals, being an active member of various medical bodies, founding a non-profit organization for women, organizing and sponsoring community events, proactively working with social and charitable causes; being columnist for various publications and healthcare expert for popular television channels etc. In her capacities she has introduced a number of innovative programmes to attack the problem of blindness & cataract, diabetes and hypertension, cancer detection and awareness programs for epidemic disease in India, including the outreach health medical camps.
Advertising -Sachin Yashwant Shigwan(2010-11)
Sachin Yashwant Shigwan is currently a business partner for Woo Advertising and socially he is handling the post of District Community Service Director in Rotaract District 3140 Organization (Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane). He is a visionary who is working for development of youth and building social values and responsibilities within today’s generation. He is a mentor for a youth organization called Rotaract Club of Pathfinders Mumbai North End, from last 7 years. Born and brought up in middle class family in metropolitan city of Mumbai, he still has the courage to gather youth and work at Adivasi Pada’s at Dahanu, near Mumbai. Now, with a few of his young friends, he is planning to work on Rural Solar Project. He is undertaking many community activities like working on project of Village Adoption by Rotary Club of Mumbai, Working on Social Entrepreneurship Project for Youth based on Rural Solar Equipment Project. He has also worked for N.S.S on Social Entrepreneurship Project for Youth based on water harvesting and rural infrastructure. He strongly feels that today for social justice we have to work on right education to the children. He has won the award of “Best Youth of the Year Award 2004-05” from Rotary Club of Mumbai North End, “Best Rylarian (Participant) Award 2006-07” In International RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) 2006 held at Karjat by Rotary International District 3140 & “Club Mentor” from Rotaract Club of Pathfinders Mumbai North End.
Engineer-Dr. S. Chinny Krishna (2010-11)
Dr. S. Chinny Krishna, currently the managing director of ASPICK Engineering P. Ltd., had worked as a research scientist in New York, after which he went on to become a Member of the faculty at Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Mr. Krishna has actively worked for animal care and welfare throughout his life. He was the pioneer in suggesting catch-spay-vaccinate and release as the method to control rabies and the street dog population, the program was known as Animal Birth Control – Anti-Rabies (ABC-AR). With no government funding, Dr. Chinny Krishna carried out the programme with funds collected from donors and his own personal funds. By introducing ABC-AR, Dr. Chinny Krishna has reduced the cruelties and the threat of unjust killing meted out to dogs and improved human health by removing the threat of rabies, which has caused the death of countless people. Dr. Krishna has also won many award for selflessly working towards animal welfare, some of these award are Jeev Daya Puraskar from Government of India in 2000, Life Time Achievement Award of the Venu Menon Animal Allies Foundation – 2001, Humane Society International Award (USA) – 2005, North Shore Animal League Award – 2005.
IT Professional- Partho Bhowmick (2009-10)
An IT professional, Mr.Partho Bhowmick got involved with social work just by accident. His passion for photography made him contact Evgen Bavcar, an accomplished blind photographer in Paris and then began his study on blindness and visual art. After his independent research on art by the blind, Mr.Partho started a workshop to teach photography to the visually impaired. With a lot of hurdles in his way, with hardly any support and just 1 student to begin with, he began his workshop inculcating the idea of “seeing through the eye of the blind”. His workshop was designed to trigger systematic visual thinking in the visually impaired and enhance their mental image formation. With time the workshop culminated into the “Blind With Camera” project and later the national traveling exhibition “Beyond Sight.” His efforts of bringing a change, changed him as a person and today, he believes that ‘the blind are not totally blind and reality is not totally real
Doctor- Ramesh Chandra Srivastava (2009-10)
Doctors are often referred to as ‘Gods in Disguise’ and Dr. Ramesh Chandra Srivastava has proved it right by dedicating his life to serve the poor and needy. It is astonishing to witness a long queue of patients outside his clinic every day. In his 40 years of practice he must have seen more than 36 Lac patients without charging a consultation fees and giving them free medicine. He works round the clock, six days a week and devotes his free time in organising medical camps for eye, polio vaccination and daily check -ups. He is an exemplary example of mobilising one’s profession for community benefit. Madhu Bhatnagar (2008-09)
As Deputy Head of the Shri Ram School, Madhu has charted out a clear course and laid emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development. She has created various initiatives like the zero garbage zone, water conservation and air pollution monitoring. Her endeavour is to change the attitude of children and the adult community towards the world. By her reckoning, "The world can look after itself - only if we stop harming it." She has dedicated her life to shaping young minds and hearts early, so that they grow to love, respect and protect natureShrenik Rao (2008-09)
Shrenik is the Founder and Creative Director of Dolsun Media. He is a keen environmental activist who has made a positive and meaningful contribution through his work and deeds. He has championed the need to plant trees, save the environment and fight global warming by his extraordinary environmental initiative - the ‘TreeCycle’. Dolsun Media has documented the ride and is in the process of making a documentary to raise awareness about environmental issues. His action exemplifies an extraordinary citizen initiative and has set a precedent for civic engagement.Raj Bhandare (2007-08)
Raj Bhandare is an architect, an artist, an entrepreneur. Fascinated by Indian spiritualism and symbolism, his paintings express the roots of Indian spiritualism. Influenced by the plight of our soldiers in Kargil, a plan for a T-shirt exhibition turned into a full-fledged company called Nirvana. Through his T-shirt company, he displays socio-political and cultural messages that are typically related to the Indian scenario, and publicise social ills in new and innovative ways