Bharat Gaurav Amrit Lal Bansal - Enviromentalist - Planted 15 Lakh Trees
Sh. Amrit Lal Bansal was born on October 6, 1950, at Jaitu, Distt. Faridkot, Punjab, India.
He was appointed as Executive Officer in the Municipal Administration of Punjab in 1978 and served as such from 1978 to 2008. During this period he was instrumental in the development of the new towns of SAS Nagar (Mohali), Zirakpur, Kharar, and Anandpur Sahib.
He has condensed his vast experience of life and dealing with the public in his book From Stagnation to Vibrant Living which is available in 140 countries of the world and has motivated many corporate CEOs, Judges, Administrators, and Students.
Dr Amrit Lal Bansal National Convener, Green India Movement, is a renowned environmentalist who is have played an active role in the construction of a large number of public parks and plantation of trees since 1979.
As early as 1979 he had constructed 4 public parks in a small town like Goniana where he was posted as Executive Officer, Municipal Council Goniana and since then he had not looked back. Thereafter he joined as Executive Officer in the Notified Area CommitteeS.A.S.Nagar( Mohali) where he had put extraordinary special efforts to construct 170 neighborhood parks in Mohali city and dotted the entire town with a large number of parks. He also constructed Boughenvillea Park in Phase5, Mohali, and Rose Garden Park in Phase 3B-2, Mohali. He also got constructed a big Leisure Valley Park in Sector -62 spreading over 55 acres which is the most beautiful park in the Tricity and large residents of Chandigarh visit this park daily and enjoy its serene atmosphere.
Dr Amrit Lal Bansal has distributed more than 50,000 food packets in COVID Wave 1 in Punjab, J&K, and other states and has organized about 25 COVID Vaccination camps at different places throughout the country.
Besides the construction of a large number of Parks in Mohali 5 lac trees were also planted on the roadsides stretching upto404 km in the Mohali town. The open spaces were developed into green belts and a large number of trees were planted in the green belts. Similarly in Nangal town 5/6 public parks were developed and a large number of trees were planted in the town. In the year 2020, a large number of Bel trees were planted all over India and all the States. There has been a rapid rise in atmospheric temperature, the water level has gone down, the air pollution has increased, and the glaciers are melting because of the release of carbon dioxide in heavy quantities all over the globe both due to industrialization and the increase of vehicles on the roadside besides due to the burning of coal in factories and thermal plants.
The natural balance of biodiversity has been lost in the ocean, air, and water and many species of birds and animals have gone extinct. The only way to save this planet is to increase the forest area on Earth which is dwindling fast by greedy human activity who is quite unmindful of the impending extinction of its race from the planet. So it is the duty of all of us to save this planet by planting at least one tree every year said, Dr. Bansal. Dr. AmritLal Bansal National Convener, Green India Movement has planted trees in all the states of India on a large scale and has motivated thousands for tree plantation.
He has engaged individuals, and governmental and non-governmental organizations to plant a large number of trees everywhere. All the State Pollution Control Boards, All the State Local Govt. Depts and other many social organizations have been motivated to plant a large number of trees and a massive effort has been put to do so by Bansal.
With his tireless efforts, more than 15 lakh trees have been planted so far in all the States of India and the work to plant more trees is still being continued with full force. The efforts are being made to plant a large number of trees in every town of India in all the districts and Tehsils and go down to the village level. Dr. Bansal hopes to continue the work of tree plantation in the times to come in the future also with the same dedication and to continue to motivate people from across all the strata of society to continue the work of tree plantation and help save the Mother Earth.
Bharat Gaurav Mrs Masoom Minawala - Digital Content Creator, Global Influencer, Investor and Entrepreneur
With over 1.23 million followers across all social media platforms, Masoom is the undisputed queen of India’s fashion and lifestyle influencer and entrepreneur ecosystem. Masoom pioneered the nation’s blogging industry when she set up her blog — Miss Style Fiesta — all the way back in 2010. Today, she is one of the first influencers from India to have walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival not once but twice in a row for L’Oreal Paris’ and attended Paris Fashion Week multiple times exclusively for luxury brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin, Dior, and so on.
In the years since she’s grown from strength to strength, today Masoom works with some of the biggest fashion, lifestyle, and luxury brands in the world. Apart from this, she’s not just your Global Lifestyle and Fashion Influencer, her content also revolves around positivity, family, gender equality, books, travel, etc. With over 20+ million impressions across platforms and numerous viral content pieces across various verticals, Masoom has proven that no one does it better.
This Women’s Day 2021 also saw Masoom start a new venture, Empowher. Through this platform, Masoom aims to empower homegrown women-led Indian brands, bring visibility to them, and elevate them to a global audience. The ultimate aim is to inspire and motivate women entrepreneurs and help guide them on the road to financial stability and growth.
Masoom represents India at fashion weeks, couture shows & luxury events all over the world such as Hermes, Dior, Armani, Ralph & Russo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tods, and Longchamp & many more. She was a speaker at TEDxYouth@Wilrijk in Belgium. Her amazing work has put her on HSBC’s list of leading female entrepreneurs worldwide as well as CNN’s ’20 under 40’ list.
Additionally, she’s an equity partner and leads innovation & strategy at the e-commerce start-up ‘The CAI Store’.
In an endeavor to continue representing Indian fashion on the global stage, she collaborates with upcoming fashion businesses to enable them to achieve substantial business growth. Her initiative #SupportIndianDesigners has generated 400,000+ conversations and content for small businesses in India to date.
One notable feat is that during these tough times of Covid, just like so many other celebrities, Masoom was very active on her Instagram page all the way from Belgium to constantly come through for her people in India. She continuously shared verified leads and helped people in every way possible to get through these tough times. She was at the forefront of helping the Hemkunt Foundation raise funds so that more and more people could have access to oxygen.
To top it off, Masoom recently became a proud member of the Women India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI), India-Austria Bilateral Business Council.
Awards won:
• E-Tailer of the Year by Cosmopolitan India 2013
• DNA India 30 under 30 List 2013
• CNN India 20 under 20 List 2017
• Lokmat Award for ‘Most Stylish Blogger’ 2019
• Best Luxury Blogger by Cosmopolitan India 2019
• Digital Influencer of the year- Popular Choice by Talent Track Awards 2021
• NewsX Influencer A-List- Best Fashion Influencer 2021
• Best Lifestyle and Luxury Influencer — IMPACT Digital Influencers 2021 (Silver)
Bharat Gaurav Dr Dattatreyudu Nori - Recognized Leader in his Specialty
Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori has an international reputation as a pioneer and authority in the field of Cancer and the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine of Harvard University quoted him as a “Recognized Leader in his Specialty”.
Over the last four decades Dr. Nori has tirelessly devoted himself to improving the cancer care of patients in the U.S. After receiving his postgraduate medical degree in India, Dr. Nori joined the world-renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the U.S. in 1976 and is currently Professor and Executive Vice-Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York Hospital Queens and Director of the Cancer Center at New York Hospital Queens.
Dr. Nori’s distinguished and exceptional achievements in oncology research resulted in the American Cancer Society bestowing him with their most prestigious “Tribute to Life” award and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center honored him with the “Most Distinguished Physician Award”.
Dr. Nori’s pioneering cancer research to improve outcomes in various cancers resulted in his selection as one of the Top Doctors for Cancer in the U.S. and Top Doctors for Women’s Cancers in the U.S. over the last decade by his peers consisting of 100,000 Oncologists. Dr. Nori introduced many innovative cancer treatment programs for lung, gynecological and genitourinary cancers which are currently considered the standard of care by Oncologists all over the world.
The Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation in the U.S. and the Network of Indian Professionals in the U.S. honored him with the Excelsior Award and the largest Indian Physician Association in the U.S., the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), with over 30,000 members, honored him with the Most Distinguished Physician Award.
In 2014, Dr. Nori was honored with the highest civilian award in the U.S., the “Ellis Island Medal of Honor” for his exemplifying and outstanding quality in both his personal and professional life and for making enduring contributions to the U.S. and the world. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate recognize this Ellis Island Medal of Honor and these honorees are listed in the Congressional Record.
Champion to Improve Cancer Care in India
Dr Nori is a Consultant to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, advising on the formulation of guidelines for the treatment of cancer in developing countries. He has helped to upgrade cancer programs in India, Israel, Brazil, and Argentina.
Dr Nori has been also working tirelessly to improve training for our Indian doctors in the cancer specialty. He has established advanced fellowship programs for Indian doctors to come to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University to receive advanced training and return to India to help our cancer patients. Most of the Oncologists practicing in India from Chandigarh to Trivandrum were trained through this program.
Nearly 200 women die from cervical cancer every day in India. Dr. Nori has taken up a major cancer prevention program working with PICC (Prevention International Cancer Cervix), an international organization based in the U.S. which has helped to significantly reduce mortality from cervical cancer in Brazil and South Africa by a simple visual inspection test and treatment with cryotherapy. He initiated this program in South India and this program is fully operational at this time in Andhra Pradesh.
Various professional and scientific organizations in India have honored him and recognized his exceptional contributions to improving cancer care in India. The Indian Medical Association honored Dr. Nori with a Gold Medal, The Professor Nayudama Foundation Award, and the Dr. Padam Singh Gold Medal for providing advanced training in the U.S. for Indian physicians.
Bharat Gaurav Rajesh Maheshwari - Founder Allen Career Institute
Self-confidence, determination, and spiritedness precisely epitomize the characteristics of Mr. Rajesh Maheshwari, Founder, and Director of ALLEN Career Institute. The persona, who never gave up, no matter what the situation was. His hard work has led ALLEN to become one of the most prominent and trusted career coaching institutes in India. An esteemed personality who is idolized as the foundation stone for discovering Kota as an educational hub. Only under his guidance, the idea of organized coaching was initiated where students were guided for Pre-Engineering and Pre-Medical Entrance exams. The fame and popularity of Kota are the outcome of his beneficence as a responsible citizen.
During the period of individual subject tuitions, Maheshwari realized the need of the students and moved ahead to provide the facility of coaching for all subjects at a single location. He had no clue that this revolutionary idea would change the fate of Kota City. And this idea helped Kota embarking its position on the map of India as the Most Prevalent Place to accomplish students’ career dreams.
From the beginning Maheshwari knew, that to create something extraordinary, the approach should be distinct. With himself, he colludes other subject teachers. This was the first time in Kota that students were provided coaching in all subjects which include Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology at a single spot. ‘Being Future Ready’ is his viewpoint always. This adorning and constructive step laid the foundation for developing Kota as the Education Capital of India.
Provision of all subjects under one roof was not only time-saving but turned out extremely beneficial for the student fraternity. On 18th April 1988, ALLEN Career Institute’s foundation was laid in a small room in Ballabh Bari residential colony of Kota. The institute was named in the memory of his father thus the name ALLEN was derived from the initials of his father’s name Sh. Laxmi Narayan (L.N.) Maheshwari.
The first batch had only 8 students and the count kept on increasing. New heights of success were scaled year after year. Since then ALLEN Career Institute sustained its legacy in quality education by making students get selected and attain the best ranks in the engineering and medical entrance exams.
ALLEN is known to create ‘never before’ benchmarks. The past achievements were complemented with remarkable progress when our Classroom Coaching Students bagged the All India First Rank in both the prestigious examinations of India, JEE Advanced 2014 and AIPMT 2014 respectively. In 2016, ALLEN broke its own stupendous records of the previous year's results by becoming the first-ever Institute in the country to produce All India Ranks 1,2,3 in both JEE Advanced and NEET- UG from the classroom. The legacy turned into a miracle in the year 2017 when All Top 10 All India Ranks of AIIMS were bagged by the students of ALLEN Career Institute and the achievement was marked as a National Record by Limca Book of Records.
Bharat Gaurav Padma Shri Ranbir Chander Sobti - Remarkable leader in Science
Dr Sobti is a remarkable leader in Science and has been ceaselessly pursuing, on the one hand, academics, research and administrative endeavours; and on the other hand, leading societal outreach programmes for the popularization of science and its benefits at the grassroots levels.
Dr Ranbir Chander Sobti, Vice-Chancellor, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow (UP) and Former Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University Chandigarh, is a renowned academician, a distinguished scientist, and able administration, and a visionary gifted with a protean disposition.
He has been bestowed with a large number of prestigious awards and medals which speaks volumes of his triumphant march towards academic and professional glory, from being awarded the INSA Young Scientist Medal (1978) to receiving coveted fellowships from various reputed National and international organisations.
Prof Sobti was recognized for his academic and society-oriented philanthropic endeavours and was bestowed with the honour of PADMA SHRI in 2009 by the Government of India.
Prof. Ranbir Chander Sobti has made outstanding contributions to path-breaking observation in predictive and protective genomics.
Starting his career as a Cytogeneticist, he moved on to explore the developments in his area of interest and evaluated the role of gene polymorphisms & their expression in the genesis of various cancers, COPD, AIDS and metabolic syndrome. He has identified several disease susceptible/protective novel genotypes and determined the crucial role of SOCS-1 and STAT genes in the genesis of cervical and prostate cancers.
Dr Sobti has been actively involved in cancer biology and focused on finding out novel tumour markers for cancer detection. His immense contributions to science are highlighted in the form of 23 books, 270 high-impact research publications with more than 2500 citations, and 23 sponsored research projects. Currently, he is involved in the development of the whole organ by tissue/organ culture through a custom-designed decellularization protocol. He has demonstrated that the regulation of stem cell character under in vitro conditions is a function of a morphological assortment of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNC) - an observation that has marked significance in the field of stem cell research.
Dr Sobti distinguished and exceptional achievements in cancer and cell research receiving many honours. The INSA Young Scientist Medal, UGC Career Award, Punjab Rattan Award, JC Bose Oration and Sriram Oration Awards, and the Life Time Achievement Awards of the Punjab Academy of Sciences, Zoological Society of India, and the Environment Academy of India, besides many other medals & awards of national and international levels. On 2nd June 2016, he was honoured by Rastra Bhasha Sansthan of Govt. of India for his contribution to Hindi at Munnar, Kerala.
Dr Sobti, besides making exemplary and highly significant academic contributions to academic and research contributions in the field of biotechnology, cancer biology, and predictive and protective genomics; has an insatiable desire and unwavering commitment to the cause of science and its popularization. He has environed and rigorously implemented numerous socially relevant and meaningful initiatives for popularizing science, especially among the students; the rural societies as well as the masses ignorant of science.
Dr Ranbir Chander Sobti is a pratiman and personification of energy, positivity, creativity and development. He encompasses the best of tradition and modernity both to engineer a dynamic today that point to a glorious future of higher education in India. He is the epitome of kindness, hard work and solidarity, and can transform the entire community into proactive participants in the project of making an ethically progressive Nation.
Bharat Gaurav Paramhamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda - Effortlessly connecting principles of eastern spirituality
Effortlessly connecting principles of eastern spirituality with elements of western spiritual tradition, Sri Swami Vishwananda reveals the underlying oneness of the divine and inspires a unique, experience of spirituality, regardless of culture, religion, gender, or age.
Mahamandaleshwar Sri Swami Vishwananda is a fully realized spiritual master, whose international mission established in 2005 is known as Bhakti Marga, ‘the path of devotion.
Effortlessly connecting principles of eastern spirituality with elements of western spiritual tradition, Sri Swami Vishwananda reveals the underlying oneness of the divine and inspires a unique, experience of spirituality, regardless of culture, religion, gender, or age.
It is based in the heart of Europe. He has established 22 temples in 12 countries, as well as thousands of Bhakti Marga groups in over 50 countries led by his 26 Bhakti Marga Swami and Swamini who work and travel in support of this mission. His most established ashram is in Germany, with India and UK officially opening later this year. He travels the world to encourage all people to recognize the universal love that lies within each human being and to awaken their innate ability to express that love in their daily lives.
To him, the name or form one gives to God does not matter. What matters is the sincerity of the heart, devoted service to God and man, and a positive, humble attitude as one journey along the spiritual path.
Giving Darshans and Satsangs tirelessly throughout the year, Sri Swami Vishwananda introduces these simple but profound concepts in a very personal way, answering questions about love, life, death, healing, and faith.
As a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji, he comes to help people open their hearts to the divine, to the unconditional love that is lacking in this world. He brings the mediation and yoga techniques of Atma Kriya Yoga and Om Chanting. There are over 200 initiated Atma Kriya Yoga teachers in 40 countries. Om Chanting is a group healing technique once practiced by the Rishis thousands of years ago, which has been reintroduced and adapted by Sri Swami Vishwananda for the contemporary age. Entering the OM Chanting circle helps to release emotions, thoughts, and negative energy. Participants experience positive shifts in emotional, mental, and physical well being thereby bringing about peace, joy, and love in their life. There are over 1,000 OM Chanting groups in 50 countries around the world regularly coming together for practice through a program called ‘Cities of Light’. The technique is free of charge and open to all.
He is the author of the ‘Just Love’ book series, the ‘Inspirations app, and commentaries on the Vedic texts including the Bhagavad Gita, Guru Gita, Shreemad Bhagavatam, and Gopi Gita. These books and commentaries, translated into many languages, help a worldwide audience to gain a deeper understanding of the universal messages they contain and spread the message of love, peace, and unity to all.
2015 saw the establishment of the Bhakti Marga Academy which offers the opportunity for deeper learning on a wide range of international spiritual, health, and well-being topics and practices to help people make connections between mind, body, and spiritual learning.
The inaugural ‘Just Love Festival’ was held this same year at the ashram in Germany, an international music and food festival with over 2,000 guests and renowned artists and musicians from around the world.
Also in 2015, Sri Swami Vishwananda was given the title of Mahamandaleshwar, (one residing over many ashrams and temples as guardian and pillar of faith), at the Kumbh Mela in Nashik, India. All four heads of the Vaishnava Sampradayas attended his initiation. He is the first-ever Europe-based spiritual leader to hold this title.
He regularly leads extensive pilgrimages to many parts of India, as well as countries with a rich Christian history, especially Israel and France. Born in Mauritius in 1978, but with a spiritual family now residing in many locations around the world, he considers his home to be wherever there are spiritual seekers and people who need to receive his blessing to help them open their hearts to the love that resides within.
Bharat Gaurav Mr V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai - The Inventor of Email
V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai, the inventor of email and other revolutionary innovations, has been passionately interested in science and technology throughout his life. This passion has been earned. Shiva has high honors in the academic and corporate worlds.
It has also given him an opportunity to confront the financial and power dynamics that affect scientific innovation, especially when innovation arises from sources considered outside the mainstream as Shiva, in fact, proudly considers himself to be.
When Shiva’s family immigrated to the United States, those early experiences inspired him to pursue the study of modern systems science and information technology. He has never lost touch with India’s healing traditions, and much of his work has been directed toward integrating the tools and techniques of East and West.
At the age of 14, after completing a special program in computer science at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Science, Shiva was recruited by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey as a Research Fellow. His mentor at UMDNJ soon presented Shiva with a difficult but irresistible challenge. Shiva was asked to create an electronic equivalent of the interoffice mail system, in which hard copies of documents were circulated throughout an office environment.
The interoffice mail system was a standard operating procedure in literally millions of companies, hospitals, schools, and other institutions around the world. It was literally everywhere, and in practice, preparing interoffice mail was virtually always tasked to female secretaries or assistants in service of their male bosses and managers.
After writing 50,000 lines of computer code, Shiva introduced the world’s first true email system, incorporating Inbox and Outbox, Folders, Address Book, Memo, and other now-familiar features of every email system. He named the system “EMAIL,” and was awarded the first United States Copyright for “Email, Computer Program for Electronic Mail System.” This legally recognized Shiva as the inventor of email, at a time when Copyright was the only protection for software inventions.
While at MIT, Shiva developed Systems Visualization, a pioneering course integrating systems theory, data, metaphor, and narrative storytelling to enable the visualization of complex systems. After winning a White House competition to automatically analyze and sort President Clinton’s email, Shiva started EchoMail, Inc. which grew to nearly $200 million in market valuation.
He serves as a consultant to CEOs and Executive Management at Fortune 1000 companies, as well as government organizations such as the United States Postal Service, and Office of Inspector General.
Shiva serves as Executive Director of the International Center for Integrative Systems, a nonprofit research and education foundation dedicated to the application of systems thinking across a range of disciplines. Research on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is a specific and urgent focus of this foundation. Along these lines, Shiva has met with world leaders including former President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and French President Francois Holland, who have sought his advice on innovative technologies and their applications to food and healthcare systems.
Bharat Gaurav Late Ms Neerja Bhanot - The braveheart flight attendant was never one to run away from a crisis
Do your duty, come what may. Never tolerate injustice or compromise on your self-respect.
These are the two guiding principles that 22-year Neerja Bhanot left for the world while smilingly embracing death to ensure that others lived. She defied the face of tyranny and terrorism and refused to be cowed down, opting instead to sacrifice her life for the benefit of humanity and mankind. She gave up her own life while saving the lives of hundreds of others during a Pan Am plane hijack in September 1986.
Sound upbringing,
Neerja was born in Chandigarh on September. 7, 1963 at the General Hospital, Sector 16. Her father, late Mr. Harish Bhanot was a reputed journalist while her mother Mrs. Rama Bhanot is a famous theatre and radio artist. She had two elder brothers, Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot.
Neerja did her early schooling at Sacred Heart School, Sector 26. She then shifted to Mumbai in 1974, as her father was transferred from Chandigarh to Mumbai. She completed her schooling at Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, and her graduation from St. Xaviers College, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai.
While in college, a leading magazine in Mumbai featured her as one of the prettiest faces of Mumbai and this brought in modeling offers for her. She went on to become a celebrated model for an array of products like Charmis, Bajaj Scooters, Amul, Chiragh Din, Paville, Modella… and many more. Life was full of success and sunshine for her.
The only dark patch in Neerja’s life was her marriage. Following an advertisement-based arranged marriage in 1985, she joined her husband in the Gulf. However, his family and he started pressurizing her to get money from her parents. Neerja was a woman of dignity and strength and refused to bend to the dowry demands. She returned home within two months. Her husband set humiliating conditions for her return to him which Neerja and her family refused to comply with. She decided to move on in life and joined ‘Pan Am' World Airways as a Flight Attendant.
Courage. Compassion. Commitment.
Immensely dedicated, Neerja made a responsible and committed flight attendant. During the initial training itself, Pan Am promoted her to the position of Flight Purser.
Neerja was the Senior Flight Purser on Pan Am 73 which took off from Bombay on September 5, 1986, to New York via Karachi and Frankfurt. The plane landed at Karachi airport at around 5 am.
A little later, a van drove up to the plane and 4 persons wearing Pakistan Police uniforms and armed with assault rifles, pistols, grenades, and plastic explosive belts jumped out of the van and ran up the step ladder while firing in the air. Neerja was at the plane door waiting to welcome the passengers who were to board the aircraft from Karachi. Once the realization came to her that this was a hijack, she was able to pass on an emergency code to the pilot through the intercom. Through a hatch in the cockpit, the American flight crew — pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer- fled from the aircraft, leaving over 375 passengers and the Indian cabin crew at the mercy of the heavily armed terrorists. Setting aside all concern for her personal safety, Neerja identified herself to the terrorists as the crew member in charge.
A long, tension-filled ordeal started. Yet, Neerja was a perfect picture of calm, confident leadership. She comforted the passengers, especially the elderly and small children. In an amazing act of courage and compassion for her fellow human beings, she hid the passports of the Americans, as the hijackers wanted to execute Americans.
After 17 hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives. Acting quickly, Neerja opened the emergency door. If she wanted, she could have been the first to jump out, but she opted to stay back and helped many of the passengers escape. She gave her own life while shielding 3 American children from a hail of bullets from the terrorists.
The heroine of the hijack
Neerja was recognized internationally as ‘the heroine of the hijack’ and is the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest civilian award for bravery. She was also awarded the Tamga-E-Insaniyat (Pakistan), Flight Safety Foundation Award (USA), and Justice for Crimes Award (USA), among others.
Two chowks are named after her in Mumbai — one at Ghatkopar and the other at Mahim — and called the Neerja Bhanot Chowks. The Ghatkopar Chowk was inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan. India Posts released a Postage Stamp on her, while the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry conferred honor on her on February 18, 2010, on the occasion of the celebrations of the centenary of Indian Aviation.
A feature film –Neerja- was made about her. The biopic was produced by Bling (Atul Kasbekar and Shanti Sivaram) and Fox Star. The film starred Sonam Kapoor as Neerja and Shabana Azmi as Rama Bhanot, Neerjas's mother.
Bharat Gaurav Dalbir Kaur - A brave, steely-eyed sister
For two decades, Dalbir Kaur woke up every day with renewed determination to combat the adversity that hit her family on August 28, 1990. Her younger brother, Sarabjit Singh, a farmer, accidentally crossed over to Pakistan and got accused of being a spy by Pakistani authorities.
Singh’s family went through a tumultuous period, trying to secure his release. He was sentenced to death in 1991 but wasn’t hanged. An agonizing waiting period began — 23 years to be precise. He was held captive in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Ms. Kaur didn’t give up. For her, Sarabjit was more like a son and she was fiercely protective of him. She fought valiantly, casting her net far and wide in a bid to get her brother back home. In 2011, she managed to get permission to visit her brother in jail, securing a rare visit.
I promised him that we will get him out soon,” she said then in an interview with the BBC. She described how her brother couldn’t hold back his tears in his tiny cell in jail as his sister tied a rakhi to his wrist, reassuring him in every way she could.
The family hails from a tiny village near Amritsar, Bhikhiwind. When a pandit announced that they should consider a vaastu-correct in the family home to get Sarabjit to come back, Dalbir complied. She wanted to pull out all stops to get her brother back, and left no stone unturned.
Dalbir Kaur was a brave, steely-eyed sister. As children, they had clear, well-defined roles — Kaur’s was to be the older protective sister, Sarabjit’s constant source of support, almost like a guardian angel.
Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao got an excess of calls from the older sister : almost a hundred. She stopped only after he agreed to have a one-on-one meeting with her. Rao had told her in 1991, “Chinta nahi karo, hum tumhare bhai ko le aayenge.” (Don’t worry; we’ll get your brother home)
Kaur was a fiery personality who didn’t stay still after receiving just words of assurance. She needed action, and she was unafraid to work for tangible results. She did it all — gatecrashing to reach influential people, directly approaching almost 170 politicians in both India and Pakistan.
It felt like she’d almost succeeded in March 2008 when Pervez Musharraf relented and agreed to stay the execution that was scheduled for April 1. This was a result of the then Prime Minister’s Manmohan Singh’s direct involvement, who it is believed, faced heavy pressure after Kaur led a massive public campaign alone for Sarabjit.
Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu also vouched for her. “Every man should have a sister like her. She soaks the unimaginable pressures on her entire family like a sponge and comes out a winner,” he said.
More than 10 lakh kilometers, two decades and a wide array of candlelight vigils and public rallies — Kaur pushed her boundaries relentlessly, refusing to take no for an answer.
She once expressed her desire to be a bird near the border close to Khalra village, explaining wistfully that she could then go to her brother easily, without the need for a visa.
Sarabjit Singh was killed by fellow inmates on April 26, 2013. His body was returned to his family in Bhikhiwind, and there was a tearful, heartbreaking reunion. Dalbir Kaur chose to rise up to the occasion when she was forced to confront a grim situation, opting to stay on the battlefield with her head held high, refusing to fade into the growing darkness of the night.
Her story is being told on celluloid this year in “Sarbjit,” with Aishwarya Rai essaying the role of Dalbir. She serves as a reminder to the rest of us — to fight, to hold on and never give up.
Bharat Gaurav Mr Nirmal Jain
Nirmal Jain is the C.M.D. of the Jain group and The Vice-chairman of Chanakya Indian Administrative Service academy where 7200 students have been trained for the Indian Administrative academy. His professional track record is equally outstanding. He really has such a vast area of his active performance and contribution which is indescribable in one area.
Not only heading organizations or groups but working to expand small, ignored areas and giving recognition to them and has also contributed to making his name renowned in various areas these are:
Works and achievements in the field of Journalism.
He worked as treasurer with Hindustan News Paper Agency. His presence with Uday India Patrika (Hindi and English) has been from the time of establishment to take this to a great height. Apart from this he had worked with Ronak times, Indraprasth press CLUB, and attended the Press summit of SAARC Countries as a Chief Guest.
President “All India WELFARE Society”
Mr. Nirmal Jain is actively working with this organization which is solely based on welfare since its establishment.
In the field of women empowerment, the society started the “BETI BACHAO, SRISHTI BACHAO”, campaign and started organizing the program “Kurja” where all the women who are renowned personalities in their respective fields are being felicitated.
Society is to give recognition to women and to make them empowered with safety, power, and equality.
Society made this Event “Kurja” by inviting great personalities like Ila Arun, the very famous singer, and International athlete “Milkha Sigh”. Not only this, but Kurja also organized “Ek sham shahido ke Naam” to reward the sacrifice of our national heroes such as Martyr Satbir Singh.
Loktrantra Raksha manch is a source of social welfare
Under these dice, misa prisoners get freedom recognition and benefits through the pension scheme to have a blissful life that fulfills their basic needs and makes them independent by accomplishing the basic requirements of misa prisoners.
Mr. Nirmal Jain is a great man with great thinking and believes in “Human service as service to god” and with passion and dedication, he worked for the welfare of needy people altruistically. Mr. Nirmal Jain created a Guinness World Record by inviting 1000 “Betiyaa” at Birla Auditorium by honoring them with Saafa where Respected Central Minister Mr. Jual Oram and Mr. A.k. Mishra were invited to honor these girls.
With his great efforts, he is bringing the big business groups & the businessman to adjoin with the social, religious & political groups which is a great effort to bring harmony into these three parts of Indian society.
Mr. Nirmal Jain is a proven leader in social work, research, education, and politics. He has served different social and religious groups under the name of Jain Group, Chanakya Indian Administrative Service Academy, All India Welfare Society, Uday India, Rotary International Club, Lions Club, Loktantra Raksha Manch, and many more. His scholarly work has focused attention on organizational culture and climate, with areas of interest on at-risk children and families. Mr. Nirmal Jain has a special interest in the minority overrepresentation and service disparity among children. He is active in the community of social work and his research has been published nationwide.
