Nari Shakti Puraskar
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. The awards are presented by the President of India on International Women's Day, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The awards were instituted in 1999 under the title of Stree Shakti Puraskar and were renamed and reorganised in 2015. There are given in six institutional and two individual categories, which carry a cash prize of rupees two-lakh and one-lakh, respectively .
Categories
The Nari Shakti Puraskar is given in six institutional categories and two categories for individual women.Institutional categories
Each of the six institutional categories is named after an eminent woman in Indian history.- Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Award for best private sector organization or public sector undertaking in promoting the well-being and welfare of women. Named after Ahilyabai Holkar, an 18th-century ruler of the Malwa kingdom.
- Kannagi Devi Award for best state which has appreciably improved Child Sex Ratio. Named after Kannagi, the central character of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram.
- Mata Jijabai Award for best urban local body for providing services and facilities to women. Named after Mata Jijabai, mother of Shivaji, who founded the Maratha Empire in the 17th century.
- Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award given to a civil society organisation doing outstanding work for the welfare and well-being of women. Named after Rani Gaidinliu, a 20th-century Naga spiritual and political leader
- Rani Lakshmi Bai Award given to the best institution for research and development in the field of women empowerment. Named after Lakshmibai, one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and a queen of Jhansi.
- Rani Rudramma Devi Awards given to two District Panchayats and two Gram Panchayats for work in the area of women welfare especially related to the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana. Named after Rudrama Devi, a 13th-century ruler of Deccan Plateau.
Individual categories
- Award for courage and bravery
- Awards for making outstanding contributions to women’s endeavour, community work, or making a difference, or women's empowerment
History
1999 recipients
- Madurai Chinna Pillai received the award for her efforts towards initiating and spreading the microcredit movement and changing the lives of women living in poverty. The erstwhile Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bowed down in respect and touched her feet while presenting her with the award.
2001 recipients
- Kannagi Stree Shakti Puraskar awarded to Satya Rani Chadha of Delhi
- Mata Jijabai Stree Shakti Puraskar awarded to Mukta P. Dagli of Surendranagar district in Gujarat
- Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Stree Shakti Puraskar awarded to Thamma Pawar of Thane district in Maharashtra
- Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmibai Stree Shakti Puraskar awarded to Mah-Naaz Warsi of Kolkata in West Bengal
- Rani Gaidinliu Stree Shakti Puraskar awarded to Sumani Jhodia of Rayagada district in Orissa
2013 recipients
- Manasi Pradhan
- M. Venkaiah
- Bina Sheth Lashkari
- T. Radha
- K. Prashanti
- Vartika Nanda
- Seema Sakhare
2014 recipients
- Rashmi Anand
- Nanditha Krishna
- Laxmi Gautam
- Neha Kirpal
- Latika Thukral
- Sailakshmi Balijepally
- P. Kausalya
- Swaraj Vidwan
2015 recipients
- Lucy Kurien
- Saurabh Suman
- Basanti Devi
- Suparna Baksi Ganguly
- Meena Sharma
- Preeti Patkar
- Uttara Padwar
- Polumati Vijaya Nirmala
- Vasu Primlani
- Sujata Sahu
- Jyoti Mhapsekar
- Sumita Ghosh
- Anjali Sharma
- Krishna Yadav
- Shakuntala Majumdar
2016 recipients
- State of Rajasthan
- Chhanv Foundation, Delhi
- Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl, Mizoram
- Sadhana Mahila Sangha, Karnataka
- Shikshit Rojgar Kendra Prabandhak Samiti, Rajasthan
- Tripunithura Kathakali Kendram Ladies Troupe, Kerala
- Amruta Patil, Goa
- Amala Akkineni, Telangana
- Anatta Sonney, Karnataka
- Anoyara Khatun, West Bengal
- B. Codanayaguy, Puducherry
- Bano Haralu, Nagaland
- Deepa Mathur, Rajasthan
- Divya Rawat, Uttarakhand
- Ilse Köhler Rollefson, Rajasthan
- Janki Vasant, Gujarat
- Kalpana Shankar, Tamil Nadu
- Kalyani Pramod Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu
- Mumtaz M. Kazi, Mahrashatra
- Nandita Shah, Tamil Nadu
- Pallavi Fauzdar, Delhi
- Pamela Malhotra, Karnataka
- Qamar Dagar, Delhi
- Reema Sathe, Maharashtra
- Ringyuichon Vashum, Manipur
- Sangita Iyer, Kerala
- Smita Tandi, Chhattisgarh
- Sumitra Hazarika, Assam
- Sunita Singh Chocken, Haryana
- Subha Varier, Kerala
- Tiasa Adhya, West Bengal
- V. Nanammal, Tamil Nadu
- Zuboni Humtsoe, Nagaland
2017 recipients
- Gargi Gupta
- Sindhutai Sapkal
- Gauri Maulekhi
- Navika Sagar Parikrama – INSV Tarini Team - Combined Award to Lt. Cdr. Vartika Joshi, Lt. Cdr. Pratibha Jamwal, Lt. Cdr. Patarpalli Swathi, Lt. Aishwarya Bodapatti, Lt. SH Vijaya Devi and Lt. Payal Gupta.
- Dr. Malvika Iyer
- R Umadevi Nagaraj
- Thinlas Chorol
- S. Siva Sathya
- Bharti Kashyap - eye doctor
- Beti Zindabad Bakery
- Mittal Patel
- Sabarmatee
- Jayamma Bandari
- K. Syamalakumari
- Vanastree
- Lizymol Philipose Pamadykandathil
- Chirom Indira
- Urmila Balawant Apte
- Deepika Kundaji
- Purnima Barman
- Dr. Anita Bharadwa
- Ambica Beri
- Pushpa Girimaji
- Avani
- Shrujan
- Dr. C.K. Durga
- Rekha Mishra
- Mehvish Mushtaq
- Karuna Society for Animals and Nature
- One Stop Centre, Raipur
- Millet Network of India
- State of Punjab
- Madhu Jain
- Jetsun Pema
- M.S. Sunil
- Sheela Balaji
- Anuradha Krishnamoorthy and Namrata Sundaresan
- Justice Gita Mittal
2018 recipients
- A. Seema - Developed low cost technology for early detection and screening of breast cancer
- Anshu Khanna - Empowered women craftspersons through her project "Royal Fables"
- Anu Malhotra - Transformed the lives of people through her thought provoking films
- Anuradha N. Naik - Contributed in developing the skills of tribal women to cultivate and conserve local chilli variety in Goa
- Chetna Gala Sinha - Founder of a bank for and by rural women
- Darshana Gupta - Touched the lives of 3500 women by initiating mass marriages of those belonging to less privileged backgrounds
- Devaki Amma An environmentalist who protected biodiversity by growing rare trees on her land in Kerala
- Delia Narayan Contractor - Designed eco-friendly sustainable houses with mud and stone inspired from local traditions
- Gowri Kamakashi - Instrumental contribution in uplifting lives through her philanthropic interventions in healthcare
- Hekani Jakhalu of YouthNet - Empowered women, unemployed and drop-out youth to develop skills and find livelihood
- Ipsita Biswas - Crucial contribution in performance evaluation of armour material and life-saving devices like bullet-proof jackets for our armed and paramilitary forces
- Iti Tyagi - Contributed in conserving crafts culture by setting up a platform wherein artisans get a chance to connect with consumers, industry and patrons. The platform offers learning and sharing
- Kagganapalli Radha Devi - Instrumental in breaking traditional notions of gender and employing many female barbers in Tirupathi temple to tonsure the hair of women devotees.
- Kalpana Saroj - Revives a shut-down industrial unit. Provided employment to poor masses and women. Born in an underprivileged family, she is now a globally recognised business woman.
- Lalita Vakil - Chamba Rumal
- Madhuri Barthwal - First Garhwali female musician; dedicated her life towards folk music and its preservation
- Manju Manikuttan - A committed social worker, she has helped numerous Indian wo in Saudi Arabia who migrate for work and face foreign land issues
- Meenakshi Pahuja - An International level swimmer, She has played an instrumental role in the lives of young women and students with different abilities keeping an interest in swimming
- Mini Vasudevan - A passionate animal activist who has sensitised the public and relentlessly worked on various aspects of animal welfare and environmental sustainability
- Munuswamy Shanthi
- Neelam Sharma - A senior correspondent at DD News & a filmmaker. Her strong advocacy of the marginalised section is reflected in several documentaries directed by her
- Nomita Kamdar - An entrepreneur who has played a key role in bringing public awareness about environmental issues through adventure sports and eco-tourism, thereby restoring the natural harmony in the Western Ghats
- Pamela Chatterjee - She has dedicated her life to the restoration of barren lands, uncultivable sodic soils and water conservation projects. She has supported numerous farmers through her work
- Pragya Prasun - An activist and social worker who survived an acid attack and now provides relief and rehabilitation to such survivors to enable them to thrive in life
- Priyamvada Singh - An entrepreneur who has created employment opportunities for villagers by restoring her 148 year old ancestral fort and developing it as a community-run home stay
- Pushpa Preeya - An exam scribe who has been writing exams for specially-enabled persons from the past 10 years and aims to contribute in their lives and careers
- Rahibai Soma Popere - Fondly known as "Seed Mother", she has conserved native seeds of several crops and prevented the exploitation of distressed farmers in Maharashtra
- Rajani Rajak - Iconic folk singer of Dhola Maru art form of Chhattisgarh, she has relentlessly worked to keep this art form alive through her performances
- Reshma Nilofer Naha - The first woman marine pilot in India
- Rhea Mazumdar Singhal - An entrepreneur building a sustainable environment by using agri-waste to make biodegradable food packaging
- Ruma Devi - Herself an artisan, she has empowered craftspersons by forming self-help groups, eliminating the middleman and bringing better profits to them. She works with over 11000 artisans as of now
- Seema Kaushik Mehta - A Kathak artiste who is inspiring the next generation of artists by teaching them Kathak
- Seema Rao - First and only woman commando trainer in India. She has trained over 15000 soldiers from Indian Army, Navy, Air, Paramilitary Police, NSG, ITBP, SVP, NPA Commando Wing SFF & Para Special Forces free of cost. She, along with her husband invented an indigenous method of reflex shooting, which is known as the Rao System of Reflex Fire which has benefited the Indian Army.
- Sister Shivani - Her seminars and television programmes on human behaviour have transformed the millions of lives
- Smriti Morarka - Initiated "Tantuvi" to revive the weaving traditions of Benaras. She provides a platform to the young generation to take up weaving
- Snehlata Nath She has dedicated 26 years of her life to creating a harmonious balance between nature, humans and technology
- Sonia Jabbar - She founded the Haathi Saathi Nature C,ub for children and also established an elephant friendly tea estate
- Sujatha Mohan - She has spread awareness of the importance of eye donation, and provided essential eyecare services to the rural and poor population in Chennai
- Sunita Devi - Working on the issue of women's health and sanitation, she is a Rani Mistri under the Swacch Bharat Mission
- Twinkle Kalia - Provides free ambulance service for the needy in New Delhi
- Urmi Basu - By forming the "New Light" organisation, she has been instrumental in changing lives of the children of sex workers in Kolkata's red-light area
- One Stop Centre, Lucknow
- Qasab-Kutch Craftswomen Producer Co. Ltd.
- The Social Welfare and Nutritional Meal Programme Department, Tamil Nadu
2019 recipients
The awards were conferred to 12 awardees comprising 15 eminent women in recognition of their efforts in rendering distinguished services towards emancipation of women, especially vulnerable and marginalized women. This year the winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar are from fields as diverse as agriculture, sports, handicrafts, Afforestation and wildlife conversation, Armed Forces, education, etc.
List of the awardees :
- Padala Bhudevi from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh,
- Bina Devi from Munger, Bihar,
- Arifa Jan from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir,
- Chami Murmu from Rajnagar, Jharkhand,
- Nilza Wangmo from Leh in Ladakh,
- Rashmi Urdhwareshe from Pune, Maharashtra,
- Sardarni Mann Kaur from Patiala, Punjab,
- Kalavati Devi from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh,
- Tashi Malik and Nungshi Malik from Dehradun, Uttarakhand,
- Kaushiki Chakroborty from Kolkata, West Bengal,
- Karthyayini Amma from Kollam, Alappuzha, Kerala,
- Avani Chaturvedi from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh,
- Bhawana Kanth from Darbhanga, Bihar,
- Mohana Singh from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, from Indian Air Force.