Reema Nanavaty is an Indian developmental worker based in Ahmedabad, India. She has been active for three decades in organising women into co-operative organisations, enterprises and trade unions in India. She is the director of SEWA and is credited for building women's livelihoods and enterprises within eighteen states in India as well as in neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.
R. Nagarathnamma (1926–2012) was an Indian theatre personality and the founder of Stree Nataka Mandali, an all-women theatre group based in Bengaluru. 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.
Phoolbasan Bai Yadav is an Indian social worker and the founder of the non governmental organization, Maa Bamleshwari Janhit Kare Samiti, known for her efforts towards the development of economically and socially backward women of Chhattisgarh, India. She was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. She also acts as a mentor to Vision India Foundation. She appeared in the Karmveer special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati along with Renuka Shahane.
Gutta Muniratnam was an Indian social worker, a member of the National Planning Commission of India and the founder of Rashtriya Seva Samithi (RASS), a non governmental organization engaged in the social welfare activities in over 2500 socio-economically backward villages in the Rayalaseema region, spread across the present day states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya is an Indian blind social worker and the secretary of Poona Blind Mens' Association, a non governmental organization working for the cause of visually impaired people of Pune and neighbouring areas. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Uma Tuli is an Indian social worker, educationist and the founder of Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, working for the rehabilitation of physically disabled people. She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Binny Yanga was an Indian social worker, a member of the National Planning Commission of India and the founder of Oju Welfare Association (OWA), a non governmental organization based in Arunachal Pradesh, working for the welfare of the weaker sections of the society and campaigning against social Illnesses such as child marriage, forced marriage and dowry. She was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
G. C. D. Bharti is an Indian musician known for his Kabir bhajans.
Neidonuo Angami is an Indian social worker and one of the founders of the Naga Mothers' Association, a non governmental organization working for remedying the social problems in Nagaland, India. She is reported to have been selected as one of the 1000 women shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005. She was honored by the Government of India, in 2000, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Achamma Mathai was an Indian social worker, women's rights activist, a co-founder of Dr. John Mathai Centre, an institute of Information Technology, Economics, Management, Theatre Arts and Music under the University of Calicut and the wife of John Mathai, the first Railway Minister of India and a former Finance minister. During her stay in Delhi, when her husband was serving in the Union Ministry, she was reported to have been involved in activities related to children's education. During the riots that followed Indian independence, she worked alongside Sucheta Kripalani for the rehabilitation of the riot victims. She served as a member of the Advisory Committee for Libraries in 1955 and as the chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board in the early Sixties. The Government of India honoured her in 1954, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to the society, placing her among the first recipients of the award.
Perin Ben Captain (1888–1958) was an Indian freedom activist, social worker, and the grand daughter of renowned Indian intellectual and leader, Dadabhai Naoroji. The Government of India honoured her in 1954 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to the country, placing her among the first group of recipients of the award.
Shalini Moghe was an Indian educationist, social worker and the founder of Kasturba Kanya School for tribal children and Bal Niketan Sangh, the first Montessori school in the state of Madhya Pradesh. She was the chairperson of the Bharatiya Grameen Mahila Sangh, Indore, a national level non governmental organization working for the welfare and education of the disabled, orphans, under privileged and the economically weaker sections of the society and was involved with other Indore-based educational institutions such as Prestige Public School and Pragya Girls School. A winner of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1992, she was honoured by the Government of India in 1968, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to the society.
Kanta Saroop Krishen is an Indian social worker and one of the founders of the Blood Bank Society, Chandigarh and the Indian Society of Blood transfusion and Immunohaematology. She is known to have worked for spreading the message of voluntary blood donation in India and is a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri for the year 1972 from the Government of India.
Claire Marie Jeanne Vellut (1926–2013) was a Belgian-born naturalised Indian leprologist, humanist and the founder of the Damien Foundation India Trust, a non profit non governmental organization engaged in providing treatment and rehabilitation services to people with leprosy and tuberculosis in India. She spent 55 years in India treating leprosy and tuberculosis patients, associating with the state and central governments or independently under the aegis of the trust she founded in 1955. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1981.
Rajmohini Devi was an Indian social worker, gandhian and the founder of Bapu Dharma Sabha Adivasi Seva Mandal, established by her in 1951. The famine of Surguja in 1951 involved a great scarcity of food grains and crop failure. The famine had direct bearing on the rise of a reform movement called Rajmohini Devi Movement, a non governmental organization working for the welfare of the tribal people of Gondwana, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It was reported that she had a vision about Mahatma Gandhi and his ideals during the famine of 1951, and she started a movement, for the liberation of women. and eradication of superstitions and drinking habits among the tribal people. The movement gradually assumed the status of a cult movement with a following of over 80,000 people and was later converted into a non governmental organization, under the name, Bapu Dharma Sabha Adivasi Seva Mandal. The organization functions through several ashrams set up in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Gunderdehi is a nagar panchayat located in the Balod district of Chhattisgarh state of India.
Shanti Hiranand was an Indian vocalist, classical musician and writer, known for her proficiency as a ghazal singer. She was the author of the book Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi, a biographical work on Begum Akhtar, a renowned Ghazal singer.
Keepu Tsering Lepcha is an Indian social worker, educationist, former civil servant and the founder of the Human Development Foundation of Sikkim (HDFS), a non governmental organization serving the socio-economically challenged people of Sikkim. A former secretary of the Government of Sikkim, she has served as the project director in the Rural Development Agency of the government. She is a member of the PeaceWomen Across the Globe organization which was shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2005, and a recipient of the 2012 Real Heroes Award of the Reliance Foundation and the 2013 Senior Citizen Award of the CNN-IBN. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2009, for her contributions to society.
Madeleine Herman de Blic is a Belgian-born Indian social worker and humanist, known for her humanitarian services in the south Indian state of Puducherry. She is the founder of Volontariat, a Puducherry-based non governmental organization engaged in social welfare activities since 1966. She is a recipient of several honors such as Legion of Honour from the Government of France, Order of the Crown from the King of Belgium, Doctor Schweitzer Award and the Independence Day Award from the Government of Puducherry. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2016, for her contributions to society.
Masuma Begum was an Indian politician, social worker, and feminist. She was a member of the Indian National Congress party, serving as their deputy leader, and was active in politics in Andhra Pradesh, becoming a member of the cabinet in 1960. She was the President of the All India Women's Conference in 1962, and worked towards building networks with international feminist organizations, advocating family planning, and working with social welfare organizations in Hyderabad. She was an early public advocate for the end of the social seclusion of Indian women, a practice known as purdah. She was a recipient of the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1974.
