Government confers Pravasi Bhartiya Award to Lord Raj Loomba

Founder and Chairman Trustee of the Loomba Foundation, a UN accredited global NGO, Lord Raj Loomba CBE has been conferred with the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award 2015 for his exceptional contribution in the field of public service and community service to uplift, emancipate and empower poor widows and their children in India.

The award was given away by the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari at the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas held in Gandhinagar last week.

This is the most prestigious and highest award given by the Government of India to honour the non-resident Indians settled abroad for their contribution to India and their adopted countries.

Lord Raj Loomba expressed his elation at receiving the award and said that cause of widowhood is close to his heart as he has seen discrimination and prejudices faced by his mother who was a widow.

"I am extremely humbled with the honour bestowed upon me by the Government of India. It assumes even greater importance that I have been chosen in the historic year that marks a centenary of Mahatma Gandhi returning to India. The cause of widowhood is very close to my heart as I saw first-hand the discrimination and prejudices faced by my mother when she became a widow," Lord Loomba said.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated annually to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community in the development of India.