BENGALURU: Sitaram Jindal, founder-chairman and managing director of Jindal Aluminium Ltd, Prema Dhanraj, a 72-year-old burns victim-turned-burns surgeon (plastic reconstructive surgeon) from Bengaluru, and Somanna, a tribal welfare worker from Mysuru, are among the nine people from Karnataka who have been selected for the Padma awards this year.
Sitaram has been selected for the Padma Bhushan in the Trade & Industry category.
Tennis icon Rohan Machanda Bopanna, Anupama Hoskere (Arts), Sridhar Makam Krishnamurthy (Literature & Education), KS Rajanna (Social Work), Dr Chandrashekar Channapatna Rajannachar (Medicine) and Shashi Soni (Trade & Industry) have been awarded the Padma Shri.
Prema dedicated her life to the comprehensive care and rehabilitation of burns victims, transcending the boundaries of surgery. Her legacy extends beyond the operating room, advocating for burns prevention, raising awareness, and policy reform. The founder of Agni Raksha NGO, she has provided free surgeries to 25,000 burn victims and authored three influential books on plastic surgery.
Her global humanitarian efforts include establishing Ethiopia’s first burns unit and educating doctors in Kenya, Tanzania, Norway and India.
A survivor of childhood burns incident, Prema overcame personal tragedy after a stove burst, causing severe burns to 50% of her body, particularly her face, while she was playing in the kitchen when she was 8-years-old.
She underwent more than 14 surgeries at Christian Medical College, Vellore. Remarkably, she became a surgeon and Head of Department in the same hospital.
Somanna has devoted over four decades to the upliftment of the Jenu Kuruba tribe. His efforts include assisting in acquiring title deeds, and ensuring legal recognition and protection for more than 500 tribal communities residing in forest areas.
Beyond tribal welfare, Sommana’s social work extends to environmental conservation, emphasising the importance of preserving natural habitats. Once a bonded labourer, Sommana, has emerged as a catalyst for positive change.