Sheela Balaji

Last updated
Sheela Balaji
Sheela Balaji receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar (sq cropped).jpg
Nationality Indian
Education Stella Maris College
OccupationManaging trustee of an NGO
Employer AIM For Seva
Known forpreserving rice varieties
SpouseT. K. Balaji
Parent(s)T. S. Srinivasan, Prema Srinivasan
Relatives TVS family
Venu Srinivasan (brother)
T. V. Sundram Iyengar (grandfather)

Sheela Balaji leads the Indian educational nonprofit organization (NGO) AIM For Seva. She is the recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar award. She is the grand-daughter of T. V. Sundram Iyengar.

Life

Balaji is the managing trustee and chair of AIM For Seva [1] which runs a large school in Manjakkudi in Tamil Nadu and also has 100 hostels across India. [2] She is also responsible for the Swami Dayananda Educational Trust. [3]

She started plantation of indigenous varieties of rice . [4] In 2011, her book Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Contributions & Writings, was published. [5]

In 2013, Balaji organized a festival in Manjakkudi dedicated to grains, which led to the rediscovery of old rice varieties. [4] In 2015, her book Without a Second: Concepts of Non Duality was published. [6]

In 2018, Balaji was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar. [7] [2] The award was invested by President of India Ram Nath Kovind at the Presidential Palace (Rastrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, also attending. About 40 people or organisations were honoured that year, receiving the award and a prize of $R 100,000. [8]

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References

  1. Staff Reporter (2014-02-02). "Aim for Seva sets up 100th free student home". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  2. 1 2 "Meet Ms. Sheela Balaji, #NariShakti Puraskar 2017 awardee". PIB India. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. "Our Chairperson & Managing Trustee". sdet.in. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 "This Woman's Preserved 30 Indigenous Rice Varieties & Is Making Sure You Get a Grain of History Too!". The Better India. 21 July 2017. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. "Pre-publication notice for Swami Dayananda Saraswati: Contributions & Writings" (PDF).
  6. Balaji, Sheela (2015). Without a Second: Concepts of Non Duality. Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust. ISBN   978-93-80049-83-0. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  7. "Nari Shakti Puraskar - Gallery". narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  8. "International Women's Day: President Kovind honours 39 achievers with 'Nari Shakti Puraskar'". The New Indian Express. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-08.