The 2021’s 60 Over 60

Achievement Story:

Professor Alok Sagar had completed his graduation from the elite institution of IIT Delhi, India. After completing his masters, he earned his Ph.D. from Houston University, Texas, US, and returned to India to become a professor at IIT Delhi. After grooming many students, including Raghuram Rajan, former RBI governor, Alok Sagar now serves people in a remote tribal village in Madhya Pradesh. For the last 34 years, he has been living as a part of a tribal community in Kochamu. He has been helping and guiding their way around, besides planting more than 50000 trees in the region.

Recognition:

- 2016 Delhi Gaurav Award
- 2017 Shoorveer Award - Mumbai

Achievement Story:

Omkar Nath Sharma, a retired blood bank technician from Kailash Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, is now well known by the name "Medicine Baba." Post-retirement, Omkar Nath started collecting unused medicines from people and then distributing them among those who can not afford medical care. He was moved by the incident of an under-construction bridge collapse in Delhi and the subsequent challenges of labourers, which triggered his desire to serve and bring change.

Recognition:

- CNN-IBN’s annual Real Heroes Awards

Achievement Story:

Sandeep Desai is a Professor at the SP Jain Institute for Management and is often referred to as 'The beggar on the train.' Being a professor himself, he had understood the importance of education and felt a need to educate those deprived of it. He started collecting funds by begging on the local trains of Mumbai and had collected over 21.5 lacks within one year. From 2010 to 2012, he raised more than 50 lakh and invested the funds in creating schools in Maharashtra's rural areas. For his work and contribution to society, he was awarded the CNN-IBN's annual Real Heroes Awards.

Recognition:

-United Nations recognition as one of the Most Outstanding People of the 20th Century
- ‘Man of the Millennium’ award from the American Government
- Best Librarian in India Award

Achievement Story:

An 80 years old librarian, Kalyanasundaram is well recognised for his contribution to redefining the concept of charity itself. The man himself has donated his lifelong savings and all of his pension for the service of others. He has given away almost everything he ever had - a total of more than 30 crores and 10 lakhs. He now operates an NGO called "Paalam," which focuses on empowering children and students' lives.

Achievement Story:

A graduate from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Vani Murthy is an activist involved in waste management awareness. Her work started from her own home, which then spread across the whole city. She has created a community of activists from various backgrounds. With her knowledge in waste management and home composting, she became the ambassador of Swachagraha, a program launched by SWMRT, Bengaluru. She continues to contribute by spreading her knowledge through social media platforms.

Achievement Story:

Paul Siromoni, a resident in Chennai, earned his Ph.D. at the age of 90. Before taking his Ph.D., he had worked as a general secretary of the YCMA and then joined St Mark's Cathedral as the head of industrial team services. It took him three long years to complete his thesis. He was awarded a doctorate in Feb 2017. His knowledge of psychology trends among youth has made him understand the problems that today's youth face, and it motivated him to start ISABS (Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Science).

Recognition:

- National Award for older persons in Sports and Adventure

Achievement Story:

Dr. Bhagawati M. Oza is one and many things. A Gynaecologist by profession, she is also a swimmer, an athlete, a cyclist, a mountaineer, and a pilot. She is often referred to as a 'young girl' in her 80's. Dr. Bhagawati earned her pilot license at the age of 50 and has successfully registered for around 150 hours of flying to date. She started taking part in sports at the age of 65 and also competed at the national level. She has more than 100 medals and a very healthy lifestyle, including daily cycling, swimming, and running.

Achievement Story:

Mahesh Palta has formerly served in the Indian Army and now owns a business. Because of his busy schedule, he used to feel tired and low on energy. After his children got settled at the age of 70, he decided to take care of his health through yoga. His interest in swimming helped him to achieve his goals. He is famously known by the name "water-yogi," as he has mastered the art of performing various yoga asanas while swimming. His habit of swimming and yoga has helped him to cure his diabetes and arthritis completely.

Achievement Story:

Fauja Singh is a 109 years old marathon runner from India residing in the UK. He was born in 1911, Punjab, British India. As a young kid, Singh was an avid amateur runner, but he had to give it up at the time of partition. He rediscovered his passion for running at the age of 89, and within a few years, he ran his first race at London Marathon. Singh has beaten many world records in multiple age brackets. His current personal best time for the London marathon is 6 hours and 2 minutes.

Recognition:

- Right Livelihood Award
- Padma Vibhushan 2009

Achievement Story:

Sunderlal Bahuguna is the leader of the Chipko movement. He is an environmentalist who has been a part of many great movements to save our nature and its gifts. A follower of Mahatma Gandhi's principles, he has dedicated his life towards peaceful resistance and creating a sustainable change to protect the environment. He has been awarded Padma Vibhushan Award by the 12th president of India, Pratibha Patil. His efforts have brought global awareness of the ill effects of deforestation, health of the Ganges, and other social causes.

Achievement Story:

K.T. Antony, a graphic designer, a novelist, and a journalist who has defied all the shackles of aging. At 96, he is writing his fourth romantic novel based on biblical characters. While people of his age prefer to sit back and relax, he is still pursuing his writing passion. He has already completed two sets of short plays and three novels. He is a living inspiration for all the younger generations.

Achievement Story:

Bhanu Rao is a 97-year-old extremely talented Bharatnatyam dancer from Kozhikode in Kerala. Despite her old age, her moves are enough to give complex to any young dancer, one of her such performance video went viral on YouTube. Her dedication to the art form made her an inspiration for many other artists. She was active as a teacher and a stage performer and has been instrumental in introducing Kathakali and Bharathanatyam to people abroad.

Recognition:

- National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress - Hu Tu Tu

Achievement Story:

Suhasini Mulay is an actor and filmmaker from Patna, Bihar. Her mother, a noted documentary filmmaker and film historian was an inspiration for young Suhasini. In 1965, at the age of 15, she was chosen for an ad film for a soap commercial. Her performance in the ad film caught the attention of filmmaker Mrinal Sen and had signed her for Bhuvan Shome, which became a milestone in the history of Indian Cinema. Apart from acting, she pursued her education in Agriculture Technology and also obtained a degree in Mass Communication. She has also majored in Film, Radio, TV, Journalism, and Print from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Recognition:

- John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
- Sahitya Akademi Award
- Padma Shri
- Padma Bhushan
- Lifetime Achievement Award

Achievement Story:

Ruskin Bond, an Indian of British descent, is a renowned author known for his children's literature in India. He was awarded many honorable awards for his work. He started his career as a freelancer from Delhi and Dehradun. He used to write short stories and poems for newspapers and magazines to sustain his financial needs. After moving to Mussoorie, he started to grow in the field of literature, and along with achieving many awards, he won the hearts of many children in India.

Recognition:

- Mumbai Women of the Decade Achievers Award
- Padma Shri Award

Achievement Story:

Anu Aga, a billionaire businesswoman and a social worker is well known for her leadership role at Thermax, despite suffering severe personal challenges. She was one of the 8th Richest Indian Women in 2007, according to Forbes magazine. After her retirement, she dedicated her career to social work. She is currently the chairperson of "Teach For India." In 2010, she was awarded one of the highest civilian awards Padma Shri.

Recognition:

- Padma Bhushan
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Padma Vibhushan

Achievement Story:

Sonal Mansingh is an Indian classical dancer wildly known for her Bharatnatyam and Odissi dancing style. She was born in Mumbai and started her career in dancing at a very young age. She began learning Bharatnatyam at the age of 7. She has Praveen and Kovid degrees in Sanskrit and also a B.A. in German Literature. Her real dance training started at the age of 18, in Bangalore, under Prof. U. S. Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi. She was also awarded Padma Bhushan for her social work.

Recognition:

- Karmaveer Puraskar Award

Achievement Story:

Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal is a national and internationally renowned producer, director, stage, and screen actor. She became India's first female standup artist. She used her work of art for solving issues in social justice, particularly violence against women, and has also been awarded the Karmaveer Puraskar for the same. She was mentioned as one of the top 50 Most Powerful Women in India in 2007 by Femina magazine. Her most remarkable plays in the last decade were Art, Shirley Valentine, Hole in the Head, and more.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri
- Filmfare Best Villain Award
- Sahitya Akademi Award
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Pride of Planet award

Achievement Story:

Mohan Aghashe, a famous actor and a psychiatrist, is widely known for his television and cinema work. Besides noteworthy acting performances, he also worked as a psychologist and had contributed to establishing the Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health in 1991. He was part of a 5-year study on the trauma of the 1993 Latur earthquake. He had graduated from B.J. Medical College, Pune for MBBS and did his M.D. in Psychiatry and later worked as a college professor before starting his career as an actor. He has been awarded many honorable awards for his work in acting, including Padma Shree and Sahitya Akademi Award.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri
- Lokmanya Tilak Award
- Adivasi Sevak Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award from ICMR presented by Bill Gates

Achievement Story:

Dr. Prakah Amte is a doctor and a social worker from Maharashtra, India. He dedicated his life to Lok Biradari Prakalpa, which he started in 1973 when he moved to Hemalkasa. The movement began as a project for taking care of the development of tribal people in Gadchiroli district's forests in Maharashtra. He has lived there for more than 20 years and provided free health care to the people. His project soon transformed into a hospital, along with a residential school, an orphanage, and an animal park for injured animals. His initiative impacts over 40,000 lives every year and provides education to over 600 students and residents.

Recognition:

- Ramon Magsaysay Award

Achievement Story:

Dr. Mandakini Amte is a medical doctor and a social worker from Maharashtra, India. She and her husband, Dr. Prakash Amte, are widely known for their work dedicated to the betterment of tribal people in Gadchiroli district's forest in Maharashtra. The initiative is called The Lok Biradari Prakalpa. For more than 20 years, Mandakini has been working towards making the lives of others better. She and her husband's combined efforts impact over 40,000 lives every year, besides ensuring education is available to over 600 students and residents.

Achievement Story:

Sudhir Goyal is a social worker who has dedicated his life to serving those who have lost their families. He has started a Sewadham Ashram in Ujjain. Because Ujjain is a city of many temples, many elderly visit the city, and there is a trend of leaving older adults on the temples' stairs. Sudhir helps such people by providing them a new family. His first inmate was a 95 years old woman whom everyone called Gulabi Ma.

Achievement Story:

Reena Verma is an energetic and young 88-year-old from Pune, Maharashtra. With her optimistic attitude and hunger for adventure, she has trekked to the Nathula Pass. She has had a very challenging time in her life, but her way of looking towards the challenges has made her undefeatable. She considers herself a fighter and says that giving up is not her style. Because of her courageous attitude, she is often called The Incredible Granny.

Achievement Story:

Thayammal is a retired government school teacher from the state of Tamil Nadu. She is well known by her second name, "Marangalin Thayar," which means Mother of Trees. She is called so because of her initiative of creating a mini-forest on her own. After retiring, Thayammal decided to spend all of her pension money on building a forest. There was a lot of resistance from the others, but today, everyone feels proud about the forest and her efforts to nourish it.

Achievement Story:

S Ramakrishnan, with Shankar Raman, run Amar Seva Sangam. Being physically challenged themselves, they understood the needs of similar people, but unlike most of us, they decided to act on it and greatly impacted hundreds of lives. In the beginning, they had started with just 5 kindergarten students. Today, more than 1000 people get benefited every year.

Achievement Story:

Kishore Rao is the man behind India's first residential palliative care center for the terminally ill. He has dedicated his life to the service of those who are counting their last remaining days. His mother passed away due to cancer, and it was the trigger that motivated him to start this initiative. He has been working with Bangalore Hospice Trust - Karunasharaya and has helped over 20,000 cancer patients in their final days. His work and commitment is a living definition of humanity.

Achievement Story:

Kalika Prasad Kala is a lawyer who has fought and secured free education of 132 girls - orphaned by the flood in Uttarakhand. The catastrophe had recorded more than 5000 deaths and many more lives affected. Realising the situation, Kalika Prasad decided to serve those who need help. He had urged the government to help, but initially, not gotten any support. He decided to start his firm, help orphaned children, and have already created an enormous impact.

Recognition:

- Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role
- Filmfare Best Villain Award
- Star Screen Award for Best Villain
- Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
- IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
- Award for Best Actor

Achievement Story:

Boman Irani is an Indian actor widely known for his role in films like Munna Bhai MBBS and 3 Idiots. He started his career as a waiter at the hotel TAJ in Mumbai. After working for around 2 years as a waiter, Boman bought a camera using his savings. He then pursued photography till he found his ultimate interest in acting. Because of his outstanding performances in several films, he has received multiple awards and recognitions.

Recognition:

- Rolex Awards for Enterprise 1996
- Rajyotsava Award (Karnataka) 2005
- Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (France) 2007
- Personality of the Decade Award (K.G. Foundation)
- Sir M Visvesvaraya Memorial Award (Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry)

Achievement Story:

G.R. Gopinath co-founded Deccan Aviation (a charter helicopter service) in 1997 and is the Founder of Air Deccan (a low-cost airline) in 2003, making flying a reality for the masses. He earned the rank of Captian and had served in the Indian Army for eight years. He was awarded as Legion of Honour by the French Government.

Achievement Story:

Travelling is only for the young and energetic - three women have challenged this notion. In their golden age, Neeru, Monicka, and Pratibha have traveled around 1,700 km over six days to traverse the India-Bhutan border at Phuentsholing. With a dream to travel, the trio has also traveled from Delhi to Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) in a span of 29 days.

Achievement Story:

Post 60, when most think of retirement, Radha, at 69, followed her passion and commenced a food business. Radha Daga became the Founder and Managing Director of Triguni Food Pvt Ltd, a Multi-Crore ready-to-eat food manufacturer in Chennai, incorporated on 11 Dec 2009. She attributes her entrepreneurial mindset to the teachings she received at the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Radha is also the pillar of Eze Eats, a brand whose packaged food items are sold on Indigo Airlines.

Achievement Story:

L R Sridhar, Founder & CEO, Connect India launched this logistics and supply chain platform with a dream to "Connect India" on August 21, 2015. Mr. L R Sridhar is one of India's logistics pioneer since 1981 and is a veteran with over 35 years in the field of innovative logistics solutions.

Recognition:

- Electronics Man of the year 1992.
- HONORARY FELLOWSHIP of the Society 2002.
- Prof S N Mitra Award.
- Golden Peacock Award for Technology Leadership.
- Most Innovative People Award 2008.
- Agile Lifetime Achievement Unicom 2015.
- Express IT Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award 2016.
- Cyber Media ICT Business Awards 2018.
- Chiratae Lifetime Achievement 2018.

Achievement Story:

Ashok Soota, a serial IT entrepreneur, is the Executive Chairman & Co-founder of the multinational IT service company - Happiest Minds Technologies, with over 20,212 employees across the US, Europe, and Asia. He is the Founding Chief Patron of the Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, founding trustee for Ashirvadam, an NGO supporting the environment and social activities.

Recognition:

- National Award 1984
- Padma Shri 2017

Achievement Story:

Baua Devi is a Mithila painting artist from Madhubani District in Bihar and has been practicing the Mithila art form for almost 60 years. She was the only Indian woman artist to have an exhibition at the Magiciens de la Terre in 1989, at the Centre Pompidou. Also, her work has been exhibited regularly in Spain, Paris, and Japan. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted one of her paintings to the Mayor of Hanover, Stefan Schosstok, on his India visit.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri 1988
- Padma Bhushan 2002
- Indo-American Award 1990
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1990
- National Heritage Fellowship of National Endowment for the Arts 1999, United States
- Kalidas Samman 2006 by Government of Madhya Pradesh
- Best World Music and Best World Beat Drummer 2007
- Grammy Award in the Contemporary World Music Album Category
- Lifetime Achievement Award by San Francisco Jazz Center, 2017
- Academy Fellow Award / Academy Ratna by Sangeet Natak Academy 2019

Achievement Story:

Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla maestro, composer, and music producer. He is the first Indian musician to attend an All-Star Global Concert at the White House, under Obama's presidency. He is also the winner of two Grammy Awards, and his efforts in music have opened doors for several Indo-Western collaborations and opportunities.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri Award 1990
- Padma Bhushan Award 2002

Achievement Story:

An Indian Classical vocalist, Dr. Prabha Atre's is also a world record holder to have released 11 books from a single stage. Her very first book Swaramayee bagged the Maharashtra State Govt. Award. She also received Indo-American Fellowship for research on materials used in Ethnomusicology, University of California,
U.S.A. Apart from this, she has established Swaramayee Gurukul to nurture talented students into professionals who aspire to take music as a career.

Recognition:

- Padma Shree 1976
- Gandharva Kalanidhi 1980
- Miyan Tansen Prize 1986
- Sangeet Samraggi conferred by the Assam Government, 1994
- Filmfare Best Female Playback Award Kudrat (1981)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 1999
- Srimant Sankardev Award, Assam Government
- Padma Bhushan, 2014

Achievement Story:

A Hindustani Classical singer, Begum Parveen Sultana, was born in 1950. She is the youngest recipient of Padmashree in 1976 and was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2014. She has been conferred with the title of Cleopatra of Music in 1972. She runs an institute - Gun Ranga Sangeet Sabha, in Pune, guiding and nurturing Indian Classical artists' future generations.

Recognition:

- National Award 1989
- Kumar Gandharva Award 1993
- Sangeet Natak Akademi award 2000
- Padma Shree Award 2011
- Banga Bibhushan 2012
- Alva's Virasat Award 2012
- Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Shastriya Sangeet Award 2014 - 2015
- Padma Bhushan 2020

Achievement Story:

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is the first Indian Classical Vocalist invited by Pakistan, China, and the BBC for their Golden Jubilee Celebration of India’s Independence. He was awarded the Maha Sangeet Samman and the Banga Bibhushan, two of the State’s highest awards by Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri 2019
- Satyendranath Bose Medal of Indian National Science Academy 2009
- Fellowship of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) 2007
- Fellowship of Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, TWAS 2009
- Devi Award of the New Indian Express Group, August 2015

Achievement Story:

Prof. Rohini Godbole is an Indian physicist and has worked extensively on different aspects of particle phenomenology over the past three decades. She is an elected fellow of the Academy of Science, India, and the Science Academy of the Developing World (TWAS). She is the author of more than 150 research papers and is part of the International Detector Advisory Group in the European research lab, CERN.

Recognition:

-Smith's Prize 1962
- Padma Bhushan 1965
- Adams Prize 1967
- Padma Vibhushan 2004
- Prix Jules Janssen 2004
- Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2010
- Atmaram Award - Central Hindi Directorate 1989
- Kalinga Prize by UNESCO 1996

Achievement Story:

Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is an Indian Astrophysicist who developed the conformal gravity theory, known as Hoyle–Narlikar theory. He became the Founder-Director of IUCAA, Pune, in 1988, and was the President of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union -Paris in 1994-97. He is a recipient of the Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the French Astronomical Society.

Recognition:

- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, Science and Techno logy 1991
- National Mineral Award and the Antarctica Award by Government of India

Achievement Story:

Sudipta Sengupta is a geologist, an expert mountaineer, and one of the first Indian women to set foot on Antarctica. She is the recipient of the highest Indian science awards for her contributions to earth, atmosphere, ocean, and planetary sciences. She was selected as a member of the third Indian expedition to Antarctica to conduct pioneering geological studies in the Schirmacher Hills of East Antarctica.

Recognition:

- Antarctica Award by the Government of India
- Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) Award

Achievement Story:

Aditi Pant, an Indian Oceanographer, is the first Indian woman to visit Antarctica in 1983 as part of the Indian Antarctic Program spearheaded by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She is the owner of five patents and has over 67 publications in international journals.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri Award 1973
- Padma Bhushan Award 2001
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Sahitya Kala Parishad Award

Achievement Story:

Uma Sharma, a Kathak dancer, and choreographer has participated in many national and international festivals and has been a representative of the Department of Culture and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She was honoured with the title Srijan Manishi by Akhil Bhartiya Vikram Parishad, Kashi. Uma runs her School of Music and Dance with a vision to train a new generation of younger classical dancers.

Recognition:

- Padma Bhushan 2008
- E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 (Services)
- Dataquest IT Man of the Year 1995
- CNBC Business Excellence Award 2005
- Honorary Fellowship from All India Management Association 2006
- Forbes' 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in Asia Pacific 2011
- Dataquest Lifetime Achievement Award 2010
- 16th in India's 50 Most Powerful People 2017

Achievement Story:

Shiv Nadar, an Indian billionaire, industrialist, and philanthropist, is the founder and chairman of HCL Technologies Limited and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Nadar joined the executive board of the Indian School of Business in 2005. He also served as the chairman of the board of governors, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, until 2014.

Recognition:

- Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2005
- Padma Shri Award 2008
- Business Man of the Year 2009-10 by Kerala State Forum of Bankers' Clubs
- Lifetime Achievement Award at Indian CEO Awards 2012
- Swiss Ambassador's Award 2012
- Most Influential Asian Business Leader (MENA region) by Forbes Middle East 2012
- Arab Business Leader of the Year 2012
- Archbishop Mar Gregorios Award 2016
- Honorary Doctorate - Middlesex University 2018
- Honorary Doctorate - Mahatma Gandhi University Kerala 2018

Achievement Story:

Yusuff Ali M. A. is a UAE-based Indian billionaire businessman and is the chairman and managing director of LuLu Group International. According to Forbes Middle East, Yusuff Ali was ranked No. 1 in the Top 100 Indian Business Owners in the Arab World 2018. He is actively involved in many social, charitable, humanitarian, and philanthropic activities in India, the Arab states of the Gulf, and across the globe.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri Award 2006
- Youth Service Department Prize, Government of Karnataka
- National Award from Public Relation Society of India
- Excellent Social Service Award by Rotary South, Hubli
- 'Karnataka Rajyotsava' State Award 2000
- 'Ojaswini' Award For Excellent Social Work 2000
- 'Millenium Mahila Shiromani' Award
- R.K. Narayana's Award for Literature 2006
- Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award by Karnataka Government 2010
- Life Time Achievement Award 2018
- 'Hemmeya-Kannadiga' Award 2019

Achievement Story:

Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation that supports society's underprivileged. She was the first female engineer at TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company. Sudha founded several orphanages and has established the 'Murty Classical Library of India' at Harvard University.

Achievement Story:

Alagarathnam Natarajan is a 70-year-old cancer survivor who provides free water to the poor and thirsty across South Delhi. An act which has earned him the moniker - 'Delhi's 'Matka Man'. He has placed and operates more than 70 matkas, across the neighbourhoods in South Delhi.

Recognition:

- Padma Bhushan Award 2012
- Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity Italian Government, Italian President Award, New Delhi 2007
- Bharat Nirman Award 2007
- Seminar Management Institution, Bhubaneswar 2007
- D.Litt. (Honoris Causa), Utkal University of Culture, Bhubaneswar 2007
- Utkala Awards by Bengal Governor, Kolkata 2006

Achievement Story:

Jatin Das is an Indian painter, sculptor, and muralist. He has been painting for more than 50 years and has completed 68 exhibitions globally. His artwork has been exhibited in the Biennales in Paris (1971), Venice (1978), and the Documenta in Kessel (1975). His large personal collection includes traditional arts and crafts over the last 35 years.

Achievement Story:

Natubhai Patel established the ‘Vina Mulya Amulya Seva – Anubandh Foundation’ to help people above the age of 50 find love and companionship. Anubandh Foundation has conducted 55 Sammelans (marriage fairs) and 148 senior marriages (55-85 years) in the last 16 years. A believer in elder remarriages, Natubhai aims to remove the taboo in the Indian society of older citizens getting married again.

Achievement Story:

Beating the aging challenges, Dilip Chauhan and his wife Pooja took off on their bike to fulfil their lifelong dream of a solo trip. They have completed this dream, journeying from Ujjain to Ladakh on their Royal Enfield bike covering around 5,500 km in 150 days.

Achievement Story:

Saroja Banappa is the Founder, President & Principal Trustee of 'Sri Shankari Balaga' to help women and children in need. Besides this, she also heads the 'Shankari Foundation' home for the elderly in Bengaluru. Starting with 15 volunteers, today, she has 700 helpers associated with the cause.

Recognition:

- Padma Bhushan 2003
- Padma Vibhushan 2011
- Most Eminent Senior Citizen 2019
- Shri Narayan Guru Award, 2020

Achievement Story:

Shri K Parasaran is a lawyer from India. He was Advocate General of Tamil Nadu in 1976, Solicitor General of India under the then PM Indira Gandhi and then, Attorney General of India under PM Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi between 1983 and 1989. He received a presidential nomination to the Rajya Sabha for six years in 2012.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri 2006
- Padma Bhusan 2020

Achievement Story:

Tsering Landol is a Gynaecologist and one of the pioneers of women's health in the Ladakh. She is one of the few woman recipients of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhusan award from Jammu and Kashmir and the first Ladakhi woman doctor to receive the honour. Landol is featured on the 'Wall of Fame' and The Song Collector, a documentary film on the life of the renowned Ladakhi folk musician, Morup Namgyal.

RecognitionStory:

- Vishist Seva Medal 1973
- Indira Priyadarshini Award
- Ati Vishist Seva Medal 2002
- Param Vishist Seva Medal 2006
- Padma Shree Award 2020

Achievement Story:

Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhya is a former air officer in the Indian Air Force. She was the first woman to be promoted to Air Marshal's rank in the Indian Air Force. The second woman in the Indian Armed Forces to be promoted to a three-star rank, and the first woman Air Vice Marshal in 2002. She was the first woman to become a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Society of India and the first Indian woman to conduct scientific research at the North Pole. Padma is an aviation medicine specialist and a member of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Recognition:

- Param Vishisht Seva Medal
- Sena Medal
- Vishisht Seva Medal

Achievement Story:

Lieutenant General (Surgeon Vice Admiral) Punita Arora is a former Flag Officer of the Indian Navy and the Indian Army. She became the first woman officer to command the medical college. She was the first woman in the Indian Armed Forces, promoted to a Three-star rank, and awarded 15 medals in her 36 years of career in the Indian Armed Forces.

Recognition:

- Padma Shri Award 2020

Achievement Story:

Sushovan Banerjee is a physician known as Ek Takar Daktar (One Rupee Doctor) for treating patients for Re. 1. His name has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records in July 2020 for treating a maximum number of patients in his lifetime. He has treated around 200 patients per day for the last 57 years.

Achievement Story:

Abdul Khadar was an honorary councillor in Indian Embassy in Oman. On returning to India, he focused on bringing social change and chose to open a free ‘Food Bank’ near his house to serve lunch every day to the needy and poor. The food counter reads: ‘Food Bank, Visakkunnavarkkoru Virunnu (a feast for the hungry)'. At least 35 to 50 packets of lunch are served every day.

Achievement Story:

Deepak Buch and his wife Manjari Buch started an organisation named Dada-Dadi ni Vidhya Parab in Ahmedabad to provide free coaching to children and youth from low-income families in 2005. Over the years, more than 1000 students have benefited because of the efforts both couples have been putting.

Achievement Story:

Babulal Gandhi, a resident of the Satara district in Maharashtra, dedicated his life to improving agriculture. Thanks to his efforts, a once-barren land near his place is a flourishing burst of green food forest today, with over 22,000 trees. Also, to complete the ecosystem, he has worked on curbing the practice of animal hunting.

Achievement Story:

Kamakshi Subramaniyan, also known as ‘Paati,’ a resident from Chennai, took up the responsibility and co-founded SPARK — a public forum for Chennai citizens to voice their grievances and ensure that the administration duly addresses them. The Ambassador of Denmark supported her social influence and foundation SPARK to maintain the Karl Schmidt Memorial in Besant Nagar. She has also succeeded in ensuring the citizens stay safer, better, and happier.

Achievement Story:

Sharada, popularly known as Dosa Ajji, was struggling to make ends meet. However, when she started her food stall in 2004, she surprised everyone by capping the food she sold at Rs 2. It was only a few years back that she decided to increase the price of her dosa to Rs 10 a plate. Her stall serves school children and labourers, ensuring they enjoy food that is affordable.