Source: The Sangai Express / Manipur Info Centre
New Delhi, August 20:
On the occasion of the 63rd birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the Ministry for Women and Child Development today announced Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Awards for the year 2007.The three awards are presented annually to three individuals who had made outstanding contributions to the cause of children in three different fields namely child development, child protection and child welfare.
The award for child welfare of this year went to Shri Ahanthem Tolen Singh from Manipur.
Smt Mahzabeen of Andhra Pradesh and Smt Shobhana Ranade of Maharastra were the award winners for child development and child protection respectively.
The award, which carries Rs 1 lakh, a silver plaque and citation to each awardee, will be distributed later in a function in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development instituted the award on August 20, 1994 to honour an individual who made outstanding contribution towards service for children.
The award was increased to three from 2006.In order to support and promote voluntary efforts in the area of child welfare and development, the wards are conferred to three individuals every year.
Shri Ahanthem Tolen Singh of Chingmeirong Lei Ingkhol (Manipur), renders his untiring service in the field of welfare, protection and development of children.
He established a destitute children home at Nongpok Ingkhol, a leprosy colony and 20-bedded community care centre for HIV affected children.
He is the Secretary of Leprosy Patients' Welfare Society which works for leprosy patients in their rehabilitation, provides vocational training like tailoring and weaving, works with AIDS patients and is involved in income generation projects like fish farming, sericulture, poultry cane
and bamboo.
Smt.
Mahzabeen of Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh is a sociologist, feminist writer and a lawyer.
She is a founder member of an organization working for women and children at Hyderabad.
She focused on child protection for the last 15 years.
Smt.
Shobhana Ranade of Pune (Maharastra) is a veteran and dedicated social worker working for destitute women and children with a view to making them self-sufficient.
She is running 25 balwadis and cr�ches in the villages of Maharashtra through Kasturba Trust.