Bhubaneswar: Sruti Mohapatra, a well known crusader for the rights of differently-abled people in Odisha, will be conferred with Nari Shakti Puruskar for the year 2021 on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Tuesday.
Sruti along with 29 other women personalities will be felicitated with the prestigious award for the year 2020 and 2021. The ceremony is the part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, celebrating 75 years of Indian independence.
28 awards, 14 each for the year 2020 and 2021 will be presented to 29 individuals in recognition of their exceptional work in rendering distinguished services towards empowerment of women, especially vulnerable and marginalized women.
President Ram Nath Kovind will give the awards at a special ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 8 March. The award ceremony for the year 2020 could not be held in 2021 due to prevalent situation created by COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to acknowledge the exceptional contribution made by individuals and institutions, to celebrate women as game changers and catalyst of positive change in the society.
The winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2020 are from fields as diverse as entrepreneurship, agriculture, innovation, social work, arts and crafts, STEMM, and wildlife conservation, etc. The winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2021 are from the fields of linguistics, entrepreneurship, agriculture, social work, arts and crafts, Merchant Navy, STEMM, education and literature, disability rights among others.