The 20th edition of the Santokbaa Humanitarian Award, instituted by the Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF), the philanthropic arm of Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), honoured Padma Shri Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, Founder of LV Prasad Eye Institute, and Padma Shri Reema Nanavaty, a leading force behind the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), for their exceptional contributions to healthcare and women’s empowerment respectively. The inaugural Santokbaa Social Entrepreneur Award was presented to Srikanth Bolla in recognition of his efforts in building an inclusive enterprise that creates opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Instituted in 2006 by Govindbhai Dholakia, Founder and Chairman of SRK, in memory of his mother Santokbaa Dholakia, the award celebrates individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on humanity through compassion, service, innovation and social transformation. Over the years, the award has honoured some of India’s most respected changemakers, including Ratan Tata, Kailash Satyarthi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sudha Murty, Verghese Kurien, Shiv Nadar, and Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla.

The ceremony, held at the Sanjeev Kumar Auditorium, Surat, was attended by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Union Minister C.R. Patil, Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, and several distinguished leaders from industry, government and civil society.

Courtesy: AOJ DESK NEWS