Ashok Laxmanrao Kukade is an Indian physician and author, who was awarded Padma Bhushan (2019), [1] India's third-highest civilian award for his work in the medical field. [2] He is the co-founder of Vivekanand Hospital and Research Center along with Dr.Firke, Dr.Alurkar in Latur, Maharashtra. [3]
Bhalchandra Vanaji Nemade is an Indian Marathi language writer, poet, critic and linguistic scholar. Beginning with his debut novel Kosala, Nemade brought new dimensions to the world of Marathi literature. This was followed by a tetralogy consisting of novels Bidhar, Hool, Jareela and Jhool. In 2013, Nemade published his magnum opus titled Hindu: Jagnyachi Samruddha Adgal which is regarded as his masterpiece. Nemade is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award as well as the Jnanapith Award, the highest literary honour in India. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri.
Prakash Baba Amte is a social worker from Maharashtra, India. Amte and his wife, Mandakini Amte, were awarded the Magsaysay Award for 'Community Leadership' in 2008 for their philanthropic work in the form of the Lok Biradari Prakalp amongst the Madia Gonds in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and the neighbouring states of Telangana and Madhya Pradesh. In November 2019 he was awarded with ICMR Lifetime Achievement Award by Bill Gates.
Sulochana Latkar known by her screen name Sulochana, is a well-known actress of Marathi and Hindi cinema and has acted in 50 films in Marathi and around 250 films in Hindi. She is most known for her performances in Marathi films such as Sasurvas (1946), Vahinichya Bangdya (1953), Meeth Bhakar, Sangtye Aika (1959) and Dhakti Jau in the lead roles, as well as for the mother roles she played in Hindi cinema right from 1959 film Dil Dekhe Dekho to the year 1995. She and Nirupa Roy epitomized the "mother" roles right from 1959 until the early 1990s.
Ashok Ramchandra Kelkar (1929–2014) was a linguist and critical Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2002 and Sahitya Akademi Award for Marathi in 2010.
Usha Jadhav is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Marathi and Hindi language films. She is best known for her role in the 2012 Marathi film Dhag for which she won National Film Award for Best Actress at the 60th National Film Awards. In 2019, she received the IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) at the 50th International Film Festival of India for her work in Mai Ghat : Crime No 103/2015.
Subhash Palekar is an Indian agriculturist who practiced and wrote many books about Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) Formerly ZBNF. Subhash Palekar was born in 1949 in a small village Belora in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in India, and he has an agricultural background. He practised Zero Budget Natural Farming without using pesticides to cultivate. He conducted many workshops all over India. He was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2016
Nilesh Sable is a Marathi television show host and film actor from Maharashtra, India. He is the host of the Marathi TV show Chala Hawa Yeu Dya.
Yamunabai Waikar, née Yamunabai Vikram Jawle was an Indian folk artist, known for her expertise in the Marathi folk traditions of Lavani and Tamasha, folk art forms involving music and dance and reported to be one of the leading exponents of the art genres. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Vijay Prakash Singh, also known as Vijay Prakash, is an Indian gastroenterologist and the Head of Department of Gastroenterology at Patna Medical College, Bihar. He was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award, and only the 7th doctor in Bihar state to receive the award.
Daji Bhatawadekar, was an Indian theatre personality and film and television actor. He was credited with the revival of Sanskrit and Marathi theatre in India. A winner of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1965, he was honoured by the Government of India in 1967, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to the society.
Tatyarao Pundlikrao Lahane is an Indian eye surgeon and ophthalmologist. He served as the Dean of Grant Medical College and J. J. Hospital, Mumbai, and set a world record with more than 162,000 cataract surgeries. He was awarded Padma Shri award in 2008, the 4th highest civilian award in India.
Dr. Pt. Nandkishore Kapote is a leading senior exponent of Kathak, an Indian classical dance form. He is a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj. He is the Artistic Director of Nandkishore Cultural Society.
Gangadhar Vithoba Pantawane was an Indian Marathi language writer, reviewer and Ambedkarite thinker from the state of Maharashtra. He was the follower of B. R. Ambedkar, polymath and the father of the Indian Constitution. He is one of the pioneers of the dalit literary movement" in Maharashtra. In 2008, he was elected president of the first Marathi Vishwa Sahitya Sammelan that was held in the United States. His pioneering journal, Asmitadarsh, galvanised generations of Dalit writers and thinkers. In 2018, he was honored with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Ravindra Kolhe and Smita Kolhe are Indian social activists and doctors working for tribal people in remote village areas of Bairagarh in Melghat region of Amravati district in Maharashtra. Ravindra Kolhe completed his MBBS in 1985 and MD in 1987 from Government Medical College, Nagpur. He has been actively working in Bairagarh area since 1985. He married Smita, also a doctor specializing in Ayurveda and Homeopathy, and together continued their work. They charged a nominal fee of ₹1 (1.3¢ US) for treatment and also run a Government ration shop. Apart from medicinal help, the couple also makes general awareness campaigns for the tribals. The works of Kolhe couple has resulted in reduction of infant mortality rate from 200 per 1000 to 40 and pre-school mortality rate from 400 per 1000 to 100. In 2019, the couple received Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.
Dr. Sudam Kate is an Indian social activist doctor known for his pioneering work in the field of Sickle-Cell Anaemia in India. Working with Maharashtra Arogya Mandal, Hadapsar, Pune; he helped diagnose and later treated over 3000 sickle cell patients from the rural tribal communities of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, working since 1972. In 2017, the USA based NGO Sickle Cell 101 presented him with “2017 Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year”. He was presented with Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian award in 2019.
Pandit Damodar Keshav Datar, popular as D. K. Datar, was an Indian violinist. He was born in Kurundwad, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. His brother Narayanrao introduced him to music and he took early lessons in violin from Pandit Vighneshwar Shastri, who used to teach at the Deodhar School of Indian Music, Mumbai. Datar completed his Bachelor's Degree but took music as full time profession. He was nephew of Hindustani classical vocalist D. V. Paluskar, under whom he later on studied music. Influenced by Paluskar, Datar adjusted his violin playing technique to vocal dominated style and played violin according to the khyal style of Gwalior gharana. Apart from khyal, he popularly also played on bhajan, thumri and natya sangeet styles. Among various countries, he toured Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. He was also employed by Films Division of India and regularly provided background score for various documentary films. He received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Hindustani Music in 1995 and in 2004 was conferred with Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian honour. he died on 10 October 2018 of old age at his residing home in Goregaon, Mumbai.
Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar is an Indian politician currently serving as the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare of India from 7 July 2021. She was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India from Dindori, Loksabha Constituency Maharashtra in the 2019 Indian general election as member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Rajaram Amrut Bhalerao, also known as Bal Bhalerao, was a doctor, professor, and patron of Marathi language theatre and Marathi literature in India. He sat on several literature and theatre committees appointed by the government of Maharashtra. As a medical doctor, he was a recipient of the Dr. B. C. Roy Award instituted by the Medical Council of India, a statutory body under India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar - Mahamanvachi Gauravgatha is a Marathi television series aired on Star Pravah. The drama is based on life of B. R. Ambedkar was released on 18 May 2019 on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
Girish Y. Prabhune is an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work towards upliftment of the nomadic Pardhi community and their children since 1970. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2021 in Social Work category.