26th Mahaveer awards announced for 4 NGOs

Chennai, Jan 12 (PTI) The Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation, Chennai, on Thursday announced the 26th Mahaveer awards for excellence for Dhyan Foundation, New Delhi, Friends of Tribal Society, West Bengal, Jan Swasthya Sahyog, Chhattisgarh, and Nongstoin Social Service Society, Meghalaya.

The awards are being conferred in four categories viz. non-violence and vegetarianism, education, medicine and community and social service.

S Vinodh Kumar, trustee, said since the inception 84 awardees have been recognised for their very high standard of selfless service for the welfare of the underprivileged. This year, 4 awardees were selected taking the total number of awardees to 88 from 23 States and 1 Union Territory.

Founder trustee N Sugalchand Jain said that each of the awardee would be given a cash component of Rs 10 lakhs, a memento and a citation.

This year, totally 324 nominations were considered. The awardees were decided by an eminent Selection Jury headed by former Chief Justice of India justice M N Venkatachaliah.

The Selection Jury comprised editor of Thuglak S Gurumurthy, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Mangalore Kendra Prof B M Hegde, former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy, former Chairman, SEBI, D R Mehta, geneticist-renowned agricultural scientist Prof M S Swaminathan, former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India Prabhat Kumar, former judge of Supreme Court justice G S Singhvi, and eminent sanyasini and social reformer Poojya Acharya Sri Chandanaji Maharaj.

Nominations for the 27th Mahaveer awards are being invited from individuals and institutions doing selfless service in the 4 categories, namely, non-violence & vegetarianism, education, medicine and community and social service. The nomination forms can be downloaded from the website: www.bmfawards.org, a release said.

Dhyan Foundation, New Delhi, worked in association with BSF and rescued about 70,000 animals including bovine animals and is managing over 43 animal shelters and gaushalas across India. Save a cow, feed a dog, help a monkey and befriend a bird are its popular campaigns.

Friends of Tribal Society, West Bengal, has established more than 1.02 lakh Ekal schools. Over 26 lakh children of the age group of 6 to 14 in over 1.02 lakh villages are currently studying in Ekal Vidyalayas in rural and tribal areas.

Jan Swasthya Sahyog, Chhatisgarh, provides affordable healthcare to rural tribal communities.

Nongstoin Social Service Society, Meghalaya, provides support, guidance, training in life skills and good farming practices and brings about a difference in the lives of the underprivileged and marginalised people through economic empowerment. PTI JSP ROH ROH