CHENNAI: The Bhagwan Mahaveer foundation announced the recipients of the 29th Mahaveer awards. The awardees are Sarhad (Maharashtra) for Non-Violence – Vegetarianism, CORD (Himachal Pradesh) for Education, Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation (Karnataka) for Medicine, Sangkhumi Bualchhuak (Mizoram) for Community and Social Service, and NIRMAN (Odisha) for Community and Social service.
Sarhad works in conflict-prone regions promoting peace and non-violence through cultural engagement and youth programmes. CORD focuses on education and rural development, particularly supporting marginalised communities, women and persons with disabilities.
Sri Shankara Cancer foundation provides cancer care through hospitals and outreach services. Sangkhumi Bualchhuak has worked for decades on women’s rights and community welfare, while NIRMAN works with tribal communities on livelihoods, women-led institutions and food security.
Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh along with a citation and memento. A total of 267 nominations were evaluated by a selection jury headed by former Chief Justice of India MN Venkatachaliah.