Bhubaneswar: The Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) celebrated its 13th Shambhavi Puraskar on Saturday, recognising exceptional contributions to social development in Odisha.
The event, coinciding with the foundation’s 15th anniversary, highlighted inspiring individuals and organisations driving grassroots change. Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida graced the occasion as chief guest and presented the awards.
Jayant Rastogi, Global CEO of Magic Bus India Foundation, attended as guest of honour.Dr. Sasmita Meher from Bargarh received the Jury Shambhavi Puraskar (with a Jury Commendation Certificate) and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for her outstanding work in the handloom sector, empowering traditional weavers to adapt to modern markets.
Two sisters from Jiridikia village in Kandhamal district, Sharmilata Pradhan and Jamuna Pradhan (also referred to as Sarmilata & Yamuna Pradhan in some references), were conferred the Shambhavi Youth Icon Award. They were lauded for promoting girls’ empowerment through football and raising awareness against child marriage in their community.
Two organisations were jointly awarded the Shambhavi Puraskar: Sathi Parivar (from Angul) and Bolangir Gramodyog Samiti (also spelled Balangir Gramodyog Samiti). Each received Rs 5 lakh cash prize along with a citation for their impactful grassroots initiatives in community development. The foundation announced future expansions into mental health and climate change programmes to broaden its reach.
