Mukherjee gave away the award for 2005 to joint winners — Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and People’s Forum Bhubaneshwar.
While the Association runs residential schools for under- privileged children, provides aid to widows and distressed women, and runs a home for women in difficult circumstances, the Forum was honoured for its services in rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of mentally ill women.
The award for 2006 was given to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore for its activities in education and development of the deserted, orphan and needy children and creating socio- economic opportunities for development of women.
~ Press Trust of India
Address by the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of presentation of Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh award for women’s development at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 5, 2012
Swami Vivekananda had said, “All nations have attained greatness by paying proper respect to women. A country and a nation which does not respect women has never become rich.”
I am pleased to present the “Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Award for Women’s Development” to the four organizations whose work is being recognized today.
It is also an occasion to reflect on the contribution made by Dr Durgabai Deshmukh to the cause of women and social development. She was a Parliamentarian, an institution builder and a pioneer in social development. She was the first Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board. As a Member of the Planning Commission, she endeavored to integrate, consciously and systematically, the element of social development into the planning process. For this task, she set up the Council for Social Development as a platform for generating new ideas and for research, advocacy and field experiments in social development.
Dr. Durgabai believed that “In the field of social welfare, the Government alone cannot initiate and carry out all the necessary measures for its citizens. Nor can it alone see to the preventive services that keep a society healthy. Only when spontaneous, dedicated work springs from the very soil it is linked with, can national efforts have real depth and meaning”.
Distinguished Guests, the Directive Principles of State Policy provide that “the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people”. Government of India, through its programmes and policies has engineered a major directional change in public policy by its focus on inclusive development. Government is committed to the development of the weaker and vulnerable sections of our society. It aims at a process of rapid and inclusive growth based on empowering the citizens of the country through education and skill development. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the National Rural Livelihood Mission are important initiatives to provide employment opportunities. Similarly, the National Urban Livelihood Mission is shifting its focus from metropolitan cities to Class One and Medium Towns. The National Programme for the Urban Homeless is a new scheme which will bring shelter and relief to the destitute. Gender budgeting has been duly integrated into our planning process to ensure that each and every developmental sector gives due emphasis to the participation of women in our nation’s growth and progress.
However, achievement of the desired goals can become a reality only with the concerted effort of the Government, private and voluntary sectors. Voluntary efforts for social welfare has deep roots in the history and heritage of India. Whether it is empowerment at grassroots level or emergency assistance, the voluntary sector enjoys considerable advantage due to its innovative, multi-sectoral and motivated approach. Voluntary organizations have played an important role in the shaping of participatory democracy in India. They have reached into remote and sometimes inhospitable terrain and approached weaker sections of our society with empathy and understanding. There has, therefore, been due attention, in our Five Year Plans, to galvanizing public cooperation through the deep and wide network of the voluntary organizations. Presently, the Planning Commission has initiated a Non Governmental Organisations Partnership System with the participation of about 11 Ministries and Organisations. These include the Ministry of Women and Child development, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Department of Higher Education and others. I am sure this initiative will impact positively on sections that it is intended for.
Distinguished guests, the organizations who have received awards today have distinguished themselves through their outstanding contribution to society. The Mizoram Widows Association, the Peoples Forum Association, the Sumangali Sewa Ashram in Bangalore and the Snehalaya of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra have brought hope and dignity to women and children who need the support of Government and society. They have given a new direction to the lives of disadvantaged sections of our society including widows, destitute women and abandoned and underprivileged children. They have worked in difficult and remote parts of the country rescuing and rehabilitating the exploited. They have given the gift of education to the deprived and underprivileged among them – and helped them to be self-reliant through vocational training, micro-credit and other assistance. I have no doubt that they will inspire the hundreds of other organizations like themselves, located all over India – in rural as well as urban centres.
With these few words, I once again congratulate the Central Social Welfare Board for instituting this prestigious award. I offer my felicitations to the four awardees of the prestigious Dr Durgabai Deshmukh awards for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 and wish them success in their future endeavours.
President confers Durgabai Deshmukh awards for social work
Smt. Krishna Tirath reiterates WCD Ministry’s commitment to social welfare
President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh awards for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the Darbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, here today. The keynote address was delivered by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister of Women and Child Development.
The eighth Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Award for the year was 2005 jointly awarded to the Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and the People’s Forum, Bhubaneswar. The Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association has worked for bringing succour and relief to thousands of widows and destitute women and hundreds of abandoned orphan children. The Association runs residential schools for under privileged children, provides aid to widows/distressed women and runs a home for women in difficult circumstances. It has a home for abandoned children and arranges for their adoption. It also runs a mobile clinic in the remote areas of Mizoram.
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 main activities of the institution include its mission ASHRA for destitute women’s mental health, helping the formation of Self Help Groups of poor, needy and oppressed women and to attain improvement in their socio-economic condition through economic activities by giving priority to women directly in production activities so that opportunities are created for them to earn additional income.
The ninth Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Award for the year 2006 was awarded to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore. The main activities of the institution include care, education and development of deserted, orphan and needy children and socio-economic opportunities for development of women. Apart from its initiatives in formal and non-formal education, the institution carries out Vocational Training, provides Micro credit facilities, runs a Family Counselling Centre, has more than 100 Creches, promotes Income Generating activities, runs a Short Stay Home and Awareness Generation Programmes for women.
The tenth Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Award for the year 2007 was awarded to Snehalaya of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra for its landmark work in the rehabilitation of women of the red light areas and other destitute women. Snehalaya has successfully intervened to rescue hundreds of girls and women who were caught in the quagmire of prostitution and has rehabilitated them in the mainstream of society.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister of Women and Child Development said that Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh was the mother of social service in India and the visionary founder Chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board. She noted that Durgabai Deshmukh was a feminist, a Parliamentarian, an administrator and a great visionary. As a Member of Parliament she carried out programmes for educating, training and rehabilitating needy women and children. Dr. Durgabai, in her unique way demonstrated to the world that women, through co-operative endeavor, could achieve the vision of universal opportunity and justice for society, the Minister added. She congratulated the awardees for their work for the needy. The Minister said that the Ministry of Women and Child Development is committed to supporting the Board in all its endeavours. Since the mandates of the Ministry and the Board are largely identical vis-a-vis the development of women and children, the Ministry of WCD as the funding body is giving increasing funding support year after year. In the year 2007-08 the Board received funds to the tune of about Rs. 138 crores from the MWCD and in 2012-13 the funds allocated are about Rs. 190 crores.
The Central Social Welfare Board was set up by a Resolution of Government of India dated 12th August, 1953 with the object of promoting social welfare activities and implementing welfare programmes for women, children and the handicapped through voluntary organisations. Dr. Durgabai became the first chairperson of the Central Board which she, with her practical knowledge of the field and personal experience, managed successfully for 10 years. Dr. Durgabai was honoured for her outstanding contribution to the cause of Peace, Social Welfare, Literacy and work among the downtrodden by national and international agencies. She won the Nehru Literacy Award, UNESCO Award for outstanding work in the field of Literacy and was decorated with the PADMA VIBUSHAN. Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department issued a stamp in her honour.
The Central Social Welfare Board had constituted the Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh award in 1997 and it is given every year to a voluntary organisation that has done outstanding and innovative work in the field of women’s development.
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