LUCKNOW: “The contribution of women to the society in every form is commendable. They are fulfilling their responsibilities in different sectors including constitutional positions with full dedication and diligence,” said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while honouring 10 exceptional women achievers from across the country at The New Indian Express Devi Award here on Friday.
Conceptualised in 2014, the Devi Awards honours leading women and trailblazers in the field of education, entrepreneurship, social work, literature, filmmaking, music, politics, medicine, law.
Among the recipients of the award were gynaecologist Dr Vibha Augustine, Red Brigade founder Usha Vishwakarma, women’s rights activists Nida Khan, singer and lyricist Prof Kamla Srivastava, botanist Prof Seema Bhadauria, animal rights activist Vanshika Gupta, brand ambassador Swachh Bharat Mission, Julie Pandey, social activist Shobha Thakur, sportsperson Poonam Yadav and healthcare activist Agrimaa Arti Sahu.
Honouring these exceptional women for the role they are playing in bringing about a change in society in their own way, CM Yogi congratulated TNIE group saying such initiatives reflected the increasing social awareness.
The awardees were selected through a rating process conducted by the senior editorial team of TNIE group and they are judged on the basis of their contribution to their chosen field, as well as society at large. There have been 13 chapters of the Devi Awards so far.
Calling the women the basic unit of society and power and grit personified in the form of Devi, TNIE editorial director Prabhu Chawla greeted the awardees. He welcomed the chief minister saying that UP was emerging as shining state under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath who was considered to be a novice with literally no experience of governance at the time of being anointed to lead the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
In the latter half of the programme, Chawla struck a ‘Sachchi Baat’ (dialogue) with CM Yogi grilling him on a plethora of issue related to Uttar Pradesh.