Nongstoiñ Social Service Society won the 26th edition of Mahaveer Award 2023 under the category of ‘Community & Social Service’ for making a positive impact in the lives of the underprivileged and marginalised tribal rural people in West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, and East Garo Hills districts of the state with a wide range of interventions ranging from offering life skills training to ushering in good farming practices.
Instituted by Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation to identify, encourage and honour people doing selfless services, the award carries a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh, a commendatory citation, and a memento. It will be presented in a grand ceremony to be held soon.
Mahaveer Award is presented every year to one NGO each in the categories of non-violence and vegetarianism, education, medicine, and community and social service.
The 2023 awards for Non-Violence & Vegetarianism and Education is bagged by Dhyan Foundation, New Delhi, and Friends of Tribal Society of West Bengal, respectively – while, the award for Medicine goes to Jan Swasthya Sahyog of Chhattisgarh.
The Foundation had received 324 nominations for Mahaveer Awards 2023 from all over the country, enlisting the help of district administrators, legislators, bureaucrats, educationists, media, social workers, parliamentarians and other eminent people.
The awardees were selected by an eminent jury headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah.
Talking about Nongstoin Social Service Society, founder of the foundation, Sugalchand Jain said the NGO in Nongstoin is changing the lives of tribal and rural communities for the better by addressing a broad spectrum of developmental needs such as economic empowerment, mainstreaming children, women and persons/children with disabilities, eradication of malaria and tuberculosis.
Its interventions are multidimensional: it operates childline centres; promotes integrated farming systems; runs a herbal medicinal school, and provides rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities and other works.
“We hope the services of this organisation will continue to inspire thousands of individuals and other organisations. Our congratulations also go to other awardees. We hope this recognition will go a long way in mobilising the support the awardees need from the public,” Jain said.
Mahaveer Award is instituted with a view to focus public attention on the activities of altruistic persons and organisations, and encourages others to emulate them. The awards are given every year. So far 84 awardees from 22 States and 1 Union Territory have been recognised with this award for their very high standard of selfless service in their domains.
