PRNewswire
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 6: The Yashraj Bharati Samman 2026 celebrates people and establishments who’ve devoted themselves to the service of others, usually working removed from the highlight, but creating significant change on the grassroots stage. The Samman is an expression of deep respect and gratitude for individuals who proceed to strengthen the social cloth of the nation by way of their work.
The choice course of adopted a rigorous and complete analysis, combining each quantitative and qualitative assessments, and culminating within the suggestions of an impartial and distinguished Grand Jury.
The Yashraj Bharati Samman 2026 Gratitude Ceremony was held on the night of May 3, 2026, on the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai. The night introduced collectively leaders from public life, academia, and civil society to collectively acknowledge the spirit of service and compassion that drives grassroots influence throughout India.
This distinctive Gratitude Ceremony had stalwarts like Hon’ble Smt. Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, and Professor Abhijit V. Banerjee, Nobel Laureate because the Chief Guests, whereas Shri Dilip Walse Patil, Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, was the Guest of Honour. Together, they conferred honours comprising The Samman Medallion, The Samman Citation and The Samman Fund of Rs. 1 Crore, 1 Lakh, upon grassroot changemakers – people and organisations – whose dedication and arduous work contributes to drive enduring, constructive change.
Dinesh Kumar Jain, Chair of Advisory Board and Managing Director at Yashraj Biotechnology Ltd, mentioned, ‘The Yashraj Bharati Samman is a tribute to people and establishments who work selflessly on the grassroots, usually with out recognition, but create lasting influence on communities. Through this platform, we purpose to acknowledge their dedication, amplify their tales and encourage a wider motion of purpose-driven motion. The work of this yr’s laureates displays the facility of compassion, resilience, and community-led change, which is crucial for constructing a extra inclusive and equitable society.’
Honours had been offered throughout the next classes to this yr’s Yashraj Bharati Samman laureates–individuals whose work exemplifies dedication to the higher good:
– Innovation in Healthcare: The Tribal Health Initiative (THI) was acknowledged for remodeling tribal healthcare by way of a deeply community-driven, holistic mannequin. Founded in 1993 in a mud-and-thatch hut in Sittilingi, Tamil Nadu, THI started in a area with extreme healthcare gaps, the place toddler mortality was 147 per 1,000 and entry to care was practically absent. By embedding itself inside the group, THI constructed belief and delivered influence — decreasing toddler mortality to 60 per 1,000 and eliminating maternal deaths inside a decade. Today, its 35-bed hospital serves practically one lakh folks yearly, with over 80% of employees from tribal communities. Recognising that well being is rooted in livelihoods, THI expanded into natural farming, ladies’s entrepreneurship, and ecological restoration. Through initiatives just like the Sittilingi Organic Farmers Association and women-led enterprises, it has strengthened incomes, improved vitamin, and decreased misery migration, whereas its group well being programme reaches 42 villages. THI’s work has additionally formed coverage, together with the inclusion of millets within the Public Distribution System, and impressed younger medical doctors by way of its Rural Sensitisation Programme — making it a very deserving laureate.
– Transforming People’s Lives: The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) was honoured for its excellent contribution to Sustainable Development. For over twenty years, FES has pushed transformative change by restoring ecological commons–forests, pasturelands, and water bodies–while strengthening group governance and enabling sustainable rural livelihoods throughout a few of India’s most weak areas. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Anand, Gujarat, FES champions the idea that these shared pure sources are central to the dignity and sustenance of over 350 million rural Indians. Its flagship ‘Promise of Commons’ initiative (2018-2028) scales this imaginative and prescient nationally, delivering improved ecological outcomes alongside livelihood safety. Through partnerships with authorities bodies–including the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Atal Bhujal Yojana, Odisha’s Mo Jungle Jameen Yojana, and the Gram Sabha Jagrukta Abhiyan in Chhattisgarh–FES has empowered communities in over 12,000 villages to safe Community Forest Rights, reinforcing its lasting influence on each folks and the planet.The Yashraj Bharati Samman 2026 concluded with a renewed sense of goal, reinforcing the significance of recognising and valuing those that work tirelessly to enhance lives and communities. The night served as a reminder that significant progress is commonly pushed by quiet, constant efforts–and that acknowledging these efforts is crucial to constructing a extra compassionate and inclusive society.
About Yashraj Bharati Samman (YBS):
In 2021, a gaggle of like-minded people from Mumbai and Ahmedabad joined fingers with the Yashraj Research Foundation, an impartial non-profit organisation based mostly in Mumbai, to have fun and honour the transformative work of people and organisations dedicated to the upliftment of the economically deprived and socially marginalised, which led to the inception of Yashraj Bharati Samman. Inspired by the exemplary management of India’s nice luminaries and the timeless moral philosophy of prioritising humanity above all else, the Yashraj Bharati Samman has been established with the intent to not simply award, however extra importantly present profound respect and deepest gratitude in direction of those that try tirelessly for the betterment of India and its residents.
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