Nari Shakti Puraskar was presented on the occasion of International Women’s Day by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) on 8th March

The Nari Shakti Puraskar, instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, are “National Award in recognition of exceptional work for women empowerment” conferred every year on March 8 as a mark of respect and recognition for those who have demonstrated exemplary courage and stellar contribution towards empowerment of women.

Prior to the award presentation ceremony, a special screening of ‘Swachh Bharat – India’s Sanitation Story’ was held at RBCC for the audience. This short film showcases the massive behaviour change that occurred across rural India under the Swachh Bharat Mission, and the role that women played in leading over 55 crore people to shun the age-old practice of open defecation.

Each awardee has a story to tell. Let us now their life sketch full of inspiration dedication and determination:

40 years old Padala Bhudevi hailing from Srikakukam in Andhra Pradesh was awarded the puraskar as she is a role model for women farmers and rural women entrepreneurs. She has been working for the development of tribal women, widows, Podu lands through a community based organization- CAVS (Chinnai Adhivasi Vikas Society), established by her father, in 1996. She has been involved in spreading awareness on improving mother and child nutritional health. She has also trained 30 women in making mehendi cones and hair care products. Despite being forcefully married at the age of 11 years, facing mental and physical torture from husband and in-laws, Padala Bhudevi has come a long way, single handedly raising 3 daughters and successfully motivating women to participate in agri-entrepreneural activities.

Bina Devi 43 years old of Munger, Bihar is fondly known as ‘Mushroom Mahila’ for popularizing mushroom cultivation.   Over the years, she has trained farmers on mushroom farming, organic farming, vermin-compost production, organic insecticide preparation at home. She has generated self-employment among rural women and also engaged in dairy farming and goat farming. She has popularized mushroom production in 5 blocks and 105 neighbouring villages in Munger district, impacting 1500 women by making them adopt mushroom farming. She has also been involved in spreading digital literacy and was awarded for training 700 women on how to use mobile by Tata Trusts. She has trained 2500 farmers on SRI Method crop farming and supported formulation of Self Help groups.

Arifa Jan 33 years old of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir is the founder of Numdha Handicrafts and responsible for reviving the lost art of Numdha handicrafts. She has trained more than 100 women in Kashmir. She has employed 25 Kashmiri craft people. Despite financial constraints and criticized for being a female entrepreneur, she has actively promoted new designs of Numdhas.

Chami Murmu 47 years old from Rajnagar, Jharkhand has been a passionate environmentalist since 24 years.   She has been involved in planting of more than 25 lakh trees with the Forest Department and mobilized more than 3000 women. She has got constructed watersheds, goat sheds, poultry sheds and nutrition gardens. She has actively worked towards protecting local wildlife by saving forests from Tiber mafia and Naxalites. She is fondly known as the ‘Lady Tarzan’ of Jharkhand.  

Nilza Wangmo 40 years old of Leh, Ladakh is an entrepreneur, running Alchi Kitchen Restaurant which is the first one to serve traditional Ladakhi cuisines including some exquisite and forgotten recipes. She has trained 20 women from remote areas of Ladakh who manage the restaurant.   She has been involved in charitable works with People’s Action Group for Inclusion and Rights, a movement to create prejudice free society and sponsored girl’s education.

Rashmi Urdhwardeshe  is 60 years of age from Pune, Maharashtra is automotive and R&D professional since 36 years. She developed electronic controls of hydraulic testing machines and contributed towards emission measurements under which the first ever emission Laboratory was formed in India. She has also co-authored a book on total quality management.  

Mann Kaur, the 103 years old of  Patiala, Punjab known as ‘Miracle from Chandigarh’, who started her athletic career at the age of 93. She won 4 Gold (Track and Field) at World Masters Athletic Championship, Poland. She has set a record by becoming the world’s fastest centenarian at the American Masters Game, 2016. She has won more than 20 medals in World Masters Games and America Masters Game, Gold , 100 m World Masters Games at New Zealand in 2017, 100 , and 200 m at National Level, Gold (100 m and 200m) at Worlds Master Championship at USA in 2013. She won a silver in long jump (3.21 m) and a bronze in the 100 m. She has been associated with Fit India Movement. She is the oldest person to walk along the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower (2017). Despite suffering from osteoporosis, she has displayed how determination is key to success.

Kalavati Devi 58 years old from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh is the lady mason, a driving force towards reducing open defecation in the district of Kanpur. She is responsible for building 4000 + toilets in villages in and around Kanpur. She has gone door to door to create awareness about the ills of open defecation and travelled for multiple hours to villages across Kanpur. Her indomitable spirit did not shake despite being a single earner in the family, taking care of her elder daughter and her two grandchildren after the untimely death of her husband and son-in-law. Her unparalleled contribution to the society has been recognized by Neurobion Forte.

Tashi and Nungshi Malik 28 years old twins from Dehradun, Uttrakhand   are mountaineers since more than 8 years. They are the first female twins to scale Mt Everest in 2013. They have scaled Mt. Kilimanjari, Africa in 2015 and Mt. Vinson, Antarctica in 2014, Puncak Jaya in Australia in 2014 and Mt. Elbrus in Europe in 2013. They founded Nungshi Tashi Foundation to develop mountaineering as sport and empower girls in 2015. They have been conferred with Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2016 and Leif Erikson Young Explorers Award in 2016.

Kaushiki Chakroborty 38 years old from Kolkata, West Bengal,   is an Indian classical vocalist with more than 15 years of experience, and she is Khayal and Thumri exponent. She has performed internationally in 5+ countries including USA and UK. She has sung 90+ songs from albums like ‘Vishwaroopam II’, ‘Mirzya’. She belongs to the Patiala Gharana. In 2015, she founded of Sakhi Women’s Musical Group, first all women classical band, joined by famous classical musicians. She has been conferred Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puruskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010.

Avani Chaturvedi  (26), Bhawanna Kanth (27), Mohana Singh Jitarwal (28) are the Indian Air Force’s first women fighter pilots Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth & Avani Chaturvedi, sky is no limit. The trio was induced into IAF fighter squadron after Government of India decided to open fighter stream in IAF for women on experimental basis. They became the first Indian women pilots to take a solo flight in a MIG- 21 in 2018.