Durgabai Deshmukh Awards

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November 2012 presented the Durgabai Deshmukh awards for women's development for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 at an award ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

With the presentation of the awards, President Pranab Mukherjee called for concerted efforts by the government, private and voluntary sectors for the development of the weaker and vulnerable sections of society.

He had also asserted that the Government of India, through its programmes and policies has engineered a major directional change in public policy by its focus on inclusive development.

The eighth Award for 2005 was jointly given to two winners, Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and People's Forum, Bhubaneswar.

The Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association works to provide aids and relief to widows and destitute women and hundreds of abandoned orphan children. While, The People's Forum, Bhubaneswar was awarded for its landmark services in the rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of mentally ill women and for its exemplary work with women in distress.

The ninth Award for the year 2006 was awarded to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore whose prime focus is to work for education and development of deserted, orphan and needy children and to provide socio-economic opportunities for development of women.

Whereas, the tenth Award for the year 2007 was awarded to the Snehalaya of Ahmednagar for its distinctive work in the rehabilitation of women of red light areas and for other destitute women.

About Durgabai Deshmukh Award

The Durgabai Deshmukh Award for women’s development was constituted in 1997 by Central Social Welfare Board which is an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

The award is basically given to honour nominee in the memory of its founder chairperson Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh. The award is presented to an organisation which has made outstanding or innovative contribution to women’s welfare and empowerment and has at least 5 years of working experience in the field. The award carries an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs, a citation and a shawl.