Three Indians, one Thai get Jamnalal Bajaj awards for 2014

Four eminent social personalities - three Indians and one Thai - were Friday conferred the prestigious 37th Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Award for 2014, said foundation chairman Rahul Bajaj.

The Indian awardees are Chennupati Vidya, founder-president of Vasavya Mahila Mandali in Andhra Pradesh, Surendra Koulagi, founder of Janapada Seva Trust in Karnataka and Ram Kumar Singh, director and managing trustee, Suruchi Shikshan Vasahat Trust in Gujarat.

Sulak Sivaraksa, founder, International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) Thailand, is the international recipient of the award for propounding Gandhian values, said Bajaj.

The awards were given away at a ceremony here by this year's Nobel Peace laureate from India, Kailash Satyarthi.

From this year, the prize money has been double to Rs.one million per awardee, from the Rs.500,000 earlier, to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the doyen of Indian industry, the late Jamnalal Bajaj.

The awards are given for outstanding contributions in the field of constructive work, development and welfare of women and children, application of science and technology for rural development, and the international award to an individual for contributions to promoting Gandhian values outside India, said Madhur Bajaj, foundation's trustee.