NEW DELHI: The BJP’s Alapsankhyak Morcha (Minority Front) will, for the second consecutive year, present the prestigious Dr Kalam Startup Youth Awards-0.2 to 27 young individuals from minority communities, including the Muslim community, on 12 August to mark Yuva Diwas. The awards ceremony will take place at the party’s headquarters extension office in Delhi.
Instituted in 2024 by the BJP Minority Front, the award aims to honour the legacy of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India’s “Missile Man” and visionary President. It is designed to inspire hope and recognise young innovators and entrepreneurs contributing towards a stronger India, in alignment with Dr Kalam’s dream and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s transformative policies on youth empowerment and entrepreneurial development, in pursuit of the national goal of Viksit Bharat.
The Morcha received over 22,300 entries from across all of India’s minority communities. Out of these, 1,300 were shortlisted for further evaluation. Following a comprehensive and transparent screening process conducted by a jury, a final list of 27 recipients was selected based on innovation and other defined criteria. Among those selected are youths from the Muslim, Christian, Jain, and Sikh communities.
When asked, the national president of BJP Minority Morcha, Jamal Siddiqui, confirmed the award event, scheduled for 12 August. Meanwhile, sources within the BJP stated that the event will be attended by BJP national office-bearers, Union Ministers, and various dignitaries from different fields.
The final recipients were chosen from seven zones across the country, designated by the BJP for the purpose of this award. The states from which recipients have been selected include Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, and others.
Sources further told this newspaper on Sunday that the highest number of 408 entries were received from Maharashtra’s minority sections, followed by 126 from Uttar Pradesh, 58 each from Karnataka and Gujarat, 49 from Chandigarh, and 38 from Jammu & Kashmir.