Corporate Citizen KVP
Mr.N S Ravishankar
Dr. N.S.Ravishankar, Deputy Vice President of Axis Bank, holds 27 yrs of versatile experience in Banking, finance and administration. A deeply committed social worker, Dr. Ravishankar has been rendering selfless meritorious service in the field of rural development, youth welfare and tribal development. He is known both nationally and internationally for his battle against the alarming onslaughts of Environment pollution and problems of tribal people. He has played a leading role in social, cultural and educational fields and is actively associated with numerous social-cultural organisations in our country. A prolific writer, Dr. Ravishankar has written thought provoking articles in various prestigious news papers, magazines and periodicals on diverse subjects of topical interests. He has organized national and international seminars and workshops in collaboration with world renowned institutions to cater to the needs of poor people and presented papers in numerous national and international conferences and seminars to promote intellectual refinement and spiritual enlightenment, there by contributing to world peace. He has won numerous honours including the National SAMAJA SEVA BHUSHAN AWARD From Subharam Trust; Outstanding Achievement Award-1997 from MSPI; Bharatiya Rastriya Vocational Excellence Award 2007; Nethaji National Youth Award -1999; National Award for Excellence from All India Freelance Journalists Assocation; Grahak Mitra Award for Excellence in Customer Service; Globalman Award 2010 in 7th World Kannada Cultural Convention Singapore; Grand Knight of Eesha of Royal Kingdom of Eesha; Knight Grand of the Royal Order, of Royal House of Rajasethuramavarma;SWamy Tamilppita Auttheenum Award-2002; Doctor of Letters from Academy of Universal Global Peace; Delegate General to India to the Noble Dynasty- The Caputo Family, USA; Michael Madhusudan Award and many more. He is the Founder Secretary of International Socio-Literary Foundation, a premier institution that serves poor people. He is associated with leading universities and institutions in India and abroad and serving in various capacities.
Civil Society Disability KVP
Mr. Y B Shivaprasad
Affected with Polio on right leg at the age of four, Shiva Prasad's life was no less a struggle. After having established his own business, he thought of taking up modification of vehicles for fellow differently- abled people, purely customized for their needs. He started a company named Galaxy Systems which deals with mobility solutions for the differently-abled. His firm is the first to obtain permission from the Government of Karnataka for carrying out modification of vehicles. Also, he is educating the differently -abled about their rights, exemptions, concessions and schemes available for them and imparts information about mobility devices available for them in the market. Shiva Prasad aims at seeking exemption for the differently- abled from paying toll charges,free education and 100% exemption of VAT on purchase of vehicles by them. Also, he plans to start a Driving School for the differently-abled and will publish a book of successful physically handicapped people to motivate others.
Civil Society Community Welfare KVP
Mr. D Shankarappa
Mr. D. SHANKARAPPA is the Founder and Chief Functionary at PARIVARTHANA Rural Development Society, which is a grassroots and social service organization working from the past two decades at Shikaripura taluk of Shimoga district in Karnataka state, transforming the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable communities on a self sustainable and socially equitable basis. "PARIVARTHANA" literally means "Change". Under his guidance, the organisation focuses on Poverty Reduction, Women & Child Development, Watershed & Sustainable Agriculture, Youth Development, Comprehensive Community Health, Natural Resource Management and holistic development and right based approaches for empowering women and rural folk. They also provide training to marginalised farmers in activities like fishery, sheep rearing, brick making, seed processing and vermin compost, provide fertilizers and help in grain distribution by linking to government programmes. The organisation helps people get aware of and access poverty eradication programs run by the government and has established linkages with various stakeholders - NGO networks, donor agencies, banks and other financial institutions, research institutes, Government of Karnataka and Government of India The NGO has helped in inculcating a sense of ownership for all projects being implemented in the community and has ensured full community participation in its activities by adopting a participatory approach, whereby they involve the communities in every stage of planning and implementation. Mr. D. Shankarappa has been a recipient of numerous awards, one of them being the National Samaj Bhushan award for social service, 2013.
Civil Society Health KVP
Dr. G.Varadharajan
Prof. Dr. G. Varadharajan is a Social Reformist and an exuberant scholar in Siddha Research & Herbal Medicinal Practices. He has been promoting traditional community health practices through indigenous medicine for the last 15 years and has invented medicines for treatment of cancer and diabetes. He earned his bachelor's in actuarial sciences followed by dual Masters in Rural Technology & Hospital Management, along with PhD in Siddha & Herbal Medicine from the reputed Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He also holds Siddha Medical Pandit (SMP) from Siddha Maruthuva Gurukulam, Madurai and Doctor of Medicine in Acupuncture from Srilanka. He Co-Founded GV Siddha & Herbal Research Foundation (GVSHRF) in 2004 and is Founder Chairman of Dr. G.V. Health & Education Foundation) since 2008. He has developed an innovative approach named Integrated Medicinal System Approach (IMSA), with the core objective of creating a disease free society by focusing on Siddha & Herbal Medicine and to bring cost effective medication to the rural poor. He has cured more than 5000 poor people from various rural communities, out of which many got free treatment under GV Siddha & Herbal Research Foundation & Dr GV Health and Education Foundation. He has conducted 12 workshops, published 10 books & 12 editorial volumes and presented nearly 60 research papers in various national & international conferences. He was the recipient of prestigious "Vaidya Mani" by Siddha Maruthuva Gurukulam, Madurai for his traditional medicinal services; Life Time Achievement Award by National Foundation for Entrepreneurship Development (NFED) in 2012. He instituted the National Social Scientist Award, since 2012 under the aegis of DrGVHEF Trust to honour academicians, social entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, social activists, etc. for their outstanding contribution to the society. He was the forerunner in establishing Leo Club, Youth Red Cross and National Service Scheme at various institutes & colleges affiliated to Bharathidasan University whilst his academic stint. His conscientious service to the community development is commendable.
Civil Society Leprosy KVP
Ms. Shyamalatha Mohan Raj
Mrs. Shyamalatha Mohan Raj (Maa Shyama) is a spiritual healer with a mission to spread divinity & wisdom. Her journey of service to mankind started about 20 years ago when she encountered a leprosy slum in Delhi. Due to misconceptions about leprosy disease, these lepers and their family members continue to remain the only surviving untouchables left in the 21st century. Driven by the cause, she started visiting the slum regularly and finding solutions for their problems. She began by teaching 'Bhajans' to children and counseling the women on importance of hygiene and other issues like child care & family planning. By the year 2000, she had motivated a few doctors to treat the leprosy-stricken slum dwellers and organize health camps in leprosy slums. She started the "Maitreey Preksha Seva Mission" with the objectives to work for the welfare of leprosy patients and saving girl children. She even collected funds and built toilets in these slums. Unhinged by the challenge of mobilising financial support for her cause, Mrs. Raj opened a dispensary named "Maitreey Arogyam" to provide for medical needs of the poor and especially for the treatment of leprosy patients and their family members. She has also initiated free accommodation and schooling for girls of leprosy slums and supervises their all-round development. She is running a hostel-cum-vocational centre for daughters of leprosy patients called "Vatsalyam" in Aya Nagar, New Delhi. Moreover, to address the issue of high dropout rates among slum children, she is running a free tuition centre, called "Maitreey Sakshar" in Dakshinpuri, a vast slum of South Delhi, educating more than 100 slum children. Nutritional supplements, milk, books and stationery items are also provided to every child.
Civil Society Leprosy KVP
Mr. Ashish Gautam
Ashish Gautam established the Divya Prem Sewa Mission in 1997 in Chandighat, Haridwar in a humble hut where he personally cleaned and dressed the festering wounds of lepers. Divya Prem Sewa Mission now offers a range of services to lepers and their families. The mission runs Sewa Kunj Campus, a dispensary for the lepers and another hospital Samidha Chikitsalaya, which caters to the poor patients living nearby. The widespread prejudice against the children of lepers prompted Divya Prem Sewa Mission to start a School to educate them, a hostel to lodge them and a versatile vocational centre to make them self-reliant and self-respecting citizens. Ashish Gautam did not have a success criteria in mind while starting the mission his sole purpose being to serve the lepers as he simply could not withstand their agony, with one wounded person dressing the other bleeding person.. Through his work Divya Prem Sewa Mission successfully dispelled myths about leprosy, while his personal love and care for the lepers demonstrated that leprosy was not contagious. DPSM is now trying to bring a desirable change in the mindset of people through different mass awakening activities
