NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday presented the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2018, the highest civilian honour for women, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Among 44 awardees selected out of around 1,000 nominations received by the Women and Child Development Ministry were names such as scientists A Seema and Ipsita Biswas, Doordarshan News anchor Neelum Sharma, acid attack survivor Pragya Prasun, radio music composer Madhuri Barthwal and activist Manju Manikuttan.
Other awardees included spiritual leader Sister Shivani, commando trainer Seema Rao and the only woman marine pilot in India, Reshma Nilofar Naha.
“The awardees are a face of change, reflecting a shift in the status of women, from women development to women-led development,” said WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi adding, “No field has been left untouched, where women have not left their indelible mark, making women the leading force of our development trajectory,” she added.
A statement by the ministry said that while making the selection from the nominations, the nominee’s contributions in empowering vulnerable and marginalised women was taken into account.