Maneka Gandhi, IIT Prof Seema Sharma among 28 women achievers to receive 2024 ICUNR awards

New Delhi: Former union minister Maneka Gandhi, IIT Delhi professor Dr Seema Sharma, IAS officer Kalpana Srivastava, actress Tanushree Dutta and Olympian Sakshi Malik are among the 28 women achievers selected for this year's Indian Council for United Nations Relations awards.

The awards will be presented in Delhi on International Women's Day on March 8.

Dr Sharma, a Professor of Economics at IIT Delhi, has been selected for her remarkable contributions to research and development.

Hailing from Dalyahu village in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh, she has received several awards for her contributions to teaching and research.

Dr Sharma's expertise extends to entrepreneurship training and corporate consultancy, focusing on sustainable growth strategies.

Her involvement in national development initiatives, including projects funded by government agencies such as the Indian Council for Social Science and Research (ICSSR), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reflects her dedication to societal impact.

Most of her project work focuses on helping small and micro-level enterprises for their development and growth.

While Maneka Gandhi will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, the awardees include women diplomats, entrepreneurs and sportspersons. 

Olympic wrestler Sakshi Malik, Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer (1992 batch) Kalpana Srivastava, Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez (Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to India), Basanti Caroline Roublin (Executive Director, TARA Child Protection & Empowerment India) and educationist Geetanjali Sethi will also be presented with the award.

The other awardees are: Dr Aanchal Jain (environment and sustainability), Gita Ramesh (wellness), Leena Malhotra (education), Mihika Wahi Gupta (fitness), Pratibha Prahlad (dance), Prisha Lamba (hospitality), Rishika Roy (Indo-French business relations), Riya Rastogi (social activism), Dr Sanjukta Basu (feminist journalism), Shrutika Dewan (brand and marketing strategy), Shrayana Bhattacharya (economic sciences), Sita Raina (motorsports), Sujata Prasad (art and culture), actress Tanushree Dutta (women empowerment), Tultul Niyogi (publishing), Dr Urvi Panchal (beauty and wellness), Vandana Bhargava (jewellery design), Yamini Jaipuria (entrepreneurship), Akash K Aggarwal (Beyond He and She), Reena Rai (Beyond He and She) and Shainee Soni (Beyond He and She).