News and Events

Mumbai, 7 April 2023: The Yashraj Bharati Samman 2022-2023 lauds and celebrates real-life heroes who have worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, dedicating their lives to the service of others. These change-makers were selected through a rigorous vetting process spread over a year. The assessment of the nominees was done by an Expert Jury which included three teaching faculties from Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) headed by Prof. Harekrishna Misra and experts on our three categories – Dr. Maya Mascarenhas (Programme Coordinator, Myrada), Mr. Ved Arya (Founder, Srijan & Buddha Fellowship) and Mr. D. K. Jain (Member, Lokpal of India). An eminent jury, comprising of Dr. G. Padmanaban, the former director of IISc, Bengaluru, and Prof. Ram Charan, made the final selection based on reports from field assessments and announcement of the laureates. The Gratitude Ceremony to honour the Samman recipients was held on April 8 at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai. The event presided over by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science (I/C), Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Maharashtra and Shri Dilip Walse-Patil, former speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, was also expected at the event but could not attend dues to urgent requirement. The honourable minister issued a letter applauding the efforts and contributions made by the Samman recipients. He appreciated the efforts made in the field of Innovation in healthcare and added that the government of India encourages and supports research and innovation in the healthcare sector. The ceremony, hosted by Ms. Gitikka Ganju Dhar, also featured a performance by Kathak dance maestra, Ms. Sheetal Kolwalkar. For each category, Samman recipients were presented with the Yashraj Bharati Samman 2023 medal and citation plaque, and a sum of 1 crore 1 lakh rupees. (In one category this amount is being shared by 2 recipients) The first annual Yashraj Bharati Samman honoured the following laureates – Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) and Prof. Navakanta Bhat in the category of Innovation in Healthcare; Professional Assistance Development Action (PRADAN) in the category of Transforming People’s Lives; and Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey for Ethical Governance.