Snehlata Nath (born 27 December 1965) is an Indian activist known for her work with the Nilgiris. She is a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award and the Nari Shakti Puraskar.
Nath was a founding director of Keystone Foundation, which was established in 1993. [1] The foundation tackled poverty among the Nilgiris people. [2] The foundation established its base at Kotagiri. [3]
In 1998, Nath co-founded the Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme and has coordinated its Indian office for over 20 years. [4]
The Fairwild foundation was established in 2008 to create a sustainable and fair trading system for wild-collected plant ingredients. Nath serves on their advisory panel. [3]
In 2013 she was given the Jamnalal Bajaj Award by Pranab Mukherjee for her "Outstanding Contribution in Application of Science and Technology for Rural Development". [5]
In 2019 Nath was invited to the presidential palace, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. She was one of 41 women to receive the highest civilian honour for women in India, the Nari Shakti Puraskar, from Ramnath Kovind. Nath had been working in eco-development and sustainability at the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve for 26 years. [5]
Saraswathi Gora was an Indian social activist who served as leader of the Atheist Centre for many years, campaigning against untouchability and the caste system.
Anil K. Rajvanshi is an academic from India, and is the current director of the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
Chetna Gala Sinha is an Indian social entrepreneur working to empower women in areas of rural India by teaching entrepreneurial skills, access to land and means of production.
Jaya Arunachalam was an Indian social worker and the founder of Working Women's Forum, a non-governmental organization based in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, working for the welfare of marginalized women. Starting in 1978, she channeled her activities under the aegis of the forum for organizing poor working women and provided them with seed capital to start their small business or to develop their existing business.
Jamnalal Bajaj Award is an Indian award, for promoting Gandhian values, community service and social development. Established in 1978, by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation of Bajaj Group, it is given annually in four categories, and usually presented by the President, Vice president, Prime Minister of India or a leading figure. The foundation currently headed by Rahul Bajaj, was created in 1977, in the memory of group founder, philanthropist and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Jamnalal Bajaj. The award ceremony takes place on his birth anniversary, 4 November.
The Nari Shakti Puraskar is an annual award given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India to individual women or to institutions that work towards the cause of women empowerment. It is the highest civilian honour for women in India, and is presented by the president of India on International Women's Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The award was instituted in 1999 under the title of Stree Shakti Puraskar, renamed and reorganised in 2015. It is awarded in six institutional and two individual categories, which carry a cash prize of 200,000 and 100,000 rupees, respectively.
Rabindra Nath Upadhyay (1923–2010) was an Indian social worker, Gandhian and the founder of Tamulpur Anchalik Gramdan Sangha (TAGS), a non governmental organization working for the social development of the rural people in the Kumarikata village of Assam. He was a recipient of the 2003 Jamnalal Bajaj Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri, in 2000, for his services to the society.
Tage Rita is an agricultural engineer from Ziro Valley and is India's first kiwi wine brewer. In 2018, she was honored with the Women Transforming India Awards, organized by the United Nations and NITI Aayog.
Nilza Wangmo is an Indian restaurant owner and an enthusiast for the local food of the Ladakh region of northern India. Her work in 2019 was recognised with the highest award for women in India – Nari Shakti Puraskar.
Deepika Kundaji is an Indian farmer whose methods gained national attention and an award from the Government of India. The Nari Shakti Puraskar award was made by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. The award is India's highest civilian award for women.
Rhea Mazumdar Singhal is an Indian entrepreneur creating biodegradable disposable products. Her awards include the Nari Shakti Puraskar.
Lalita Vakil is an Indian embroidery artist known for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of Chamba Rumal, a traditional form of handkerchief embroidery from Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh.
Neha Kirpal is an Indian social entrepreneur based in India. She is known for her work at the intersection of arts and mental health. She founded the India Art Fair in 2008, which she later sold to MCH Group. She is the co-founder of Amaha, a mental health organization.
A. Seema is an Indian scientist from Kerala who led a team that developed a bra that indicates whether the person wearing it has breast cancer. After it was sent for commercial development, she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2019 for her work.
Madhuri Barthwal née Uniyal is a folk singer of Uttarakhand, India. She is the first woman to be a music composer in All India Radio. She is said to be the first female musician from Uttarakhand to become a music teacher. On International Women's Day in 2019 she was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar by Ram Nath Kovind. She was awarded the Padma ShriIndia's fourth highest civilian award in 2022 by the Indian government in the field of art.
Ambica Beri born Ambica Subherwal is an Indian art gallery owner. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2018 for establishing a retreat for artists.
Kshetrimayum Indira Devi, known as Chirom Indira, is an Indian entrepreneur, designer, and social worker.
K. Syamalakumari aka Syamala Kumari is an Indian temple painter. This was an occupation traditionally carried out by men. Her work includes painting at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. She has been awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar.
Dr. M.S. Sunil is an Indian Academic, Humanist and Philanthropist known for housing the homeless. She founded Dr. M.S. Sunil Foundation in December, 2016 in Pathanamthitta, with five trust members and six volunteers. Her works focuses to uplift the living conditions of impoverished families/ communities, her philanthropist and non- profit programmes aim to provide safe houses and healthy food to build a compassionate environment with enlightened mind on renewable energy and conservation of natural habitat by including every communities including Tribal and socially underprivileged with less or no inequality. She was acknowledged by the Government of India and was the recipient of many honours, including the Nari Shakti Puraskar- 2017 which is considered as the Government of India's highest civilian honour for women.
Vanita Jagdeo Borade is an Indian conservationist and the founder of the Soyre Vanchare Multipurpose Foundation, which works in wildlife protection. She specializes in rescuing snakes and has been recognized as "India's first woman snake friend". Borade received the Nari Shakti Puraskar from the Indian government in recognition of her conservation efforts.