• National Awards

• Awards Content:
  • वर्ष: 2024, पुरस्कार प्रकार: राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार

डॉ.अभय बंग यांचं बालपण वर्ध्यातील सेवाग्राम आश्रमात गेलं. त्यांचं प्राथमिक शिक्षणही महात्मा गांधी यांनी सुरू केलेल्या नई तालीम शिक्षण पद्धतीच्या शाळेत झालं. त्यामुळे त्यांच्या विचारांवर महात्मा गांधी यांच्या तत्त्वज्ञानाचा मोठा पगडा आहे. तर डॉ.राणी बंग यांचा जन्म चंद्रपूर इथं दक्षिण भारतीय कुटुंबात झाला. या दोघांचंही एमबीबीएस आणि एमडीपर्यंतचं शिक्षण नागपूरच्या शासकीय वैद्यकीय रुग्णालयात झालं. या दोघांनीही विद्यापीठीय पातळीवर आणि अखिल भारतीय स्तरावर प्रथम स्थान मिळवत अनेक सुवर्णपदकं मिळवली. नंतर अमेरिकेतील जॉन हॉपकिन्स विद्यापीठातून मास्टर्स इन पब्लिक हेल्थचं शिक्षण पूर्ण केलं. तिथं कार्ल टेलर यांच्याकडून सार्वजनिक आरोग्याचे धडे घेतले.

पुढे १९८४ मध्ये ते भारतात परतले तेव्हा आरोग्याच्या सर्वाधिक समस्या या खेड्यांमध्ये आहेत, याची बंग दाम्पत्याला कल्पना होती. त्यामुळे त्यांनी खेड्यांमध्ये काम करण्याचा निर्धार केला. त्याच निर्धारातून सन १९८६ साली 'सर्च' अर्थात सोसायटी फॉर एज्युकेशन, अ‍ॅक्शन अँण्ड रिसर्च इन कम्युनिटी हेल्थ या सेवाभावी संस्थेचा जन्म झाला आणि त्या संस्थेने आदिवासी बांधवांच्या आयुष्याला नवसंजीवनी दिली. गडचिरोलीपासून १७ किलोमीटर अंतरावर ‘शोधग्राम’ आकारास आलं. आदिवासींच्या लोकभावनेचा आदर करत त्यांच्याच आग्रहावरून रुग्णालयाचं ‘माँ दंतेश्वरी दवाखाना’ असं नामकरण करण्यात आलं आणि तेथून त्यांच्या वैद्यकीय सेवेचा प्रारंभ झाला.

आरोग्याच्या प्रश्नांवर काम करताना स्थानिक महिलांना सामान्य आजारासोबतच स्त्रीरोगाच्या मोठ्या समस्या असल्याचे डॉ.राणी बंग यांना जाणवले. त्यामुळे बंग दाम्पत्याने 'वसा' आणि 'अमिर्झा' या दोन गावात संशोधन केलं. त्यात आढळलं की, ९२ टक्के महिलांना स्त्रीरोगाची समस्या आहे. हेच संशोधन १९८९ साली ‘लॅन्सेट’ या जगप्रसिद्ध जर्नलमध्ये प्रसिद्ध झाले. विकसनशील देशांतील स्त्रियांच्या आरोग्याविषयीचं हे या दशकातील महत्वाचं संशोधन आहे, अशा शब्दात अमेरिकेतील तज्ज्ञांनी त्याचा गौरव केला. स्त्री आरोग्याच्या समस्यांना या संशोधनामुळे पुरावा मिळाला. त्यामुळेच १९९४ साली कैरोमध्ये जागतिक लोकसंख्या नीती बदलून ‘महिलांचे प्रजोत्पादनातील आरोग्य’ यावर भर देणारी नवी नीती तयार करण्यात आली. पुढे बंग दाम्पत्याने बालमृत्युवरही काम सुरू केलं. विशेष म्हणजे ते काम आजही सुरूच आहे. सुरुवातीला अर्भक मृत्युदर १२१ वर होता. त्यातील ४० टक्के बालकांचे मृत्यू हे केवळ न्यूमोनिया या आजारानं होतात, असं त्यांना आढळलं. ही बालकं शहरापर्यंत उपचारासाठी येऊ शकत नव्हती. त्यामुळे गावातच एक आरोग्यदूत तयार करायचा आणि त्याला न्युमोनियाचं निदान करायला शिकवायचं हा प्रयोग करण्यात आला. गावातील एका व्यक्तीला आरोग्यदूत म्हणून प्रशिक्षित करून उपचार करायला शिकवल्याने १९८८ ते ९० या दोन वर्षांत न्युमोनियामुळे होणारे मृत्यू ७४ टक्क्याने, तर अर्भक मृत्युदर २५ टक्क्यांनी कमी झाला. हे अध्ययनही ‘लॅन्सेट’मध्ये १९९० मध्ये प्रसिद्ध झाले. जागतिक आरोग्य संघटना आणि जॉन हॉपकिन्स विद्यापीठाने हे या विषयावरचं सर्वोत्कृष्ट अध्ययन असल्याचं घोषित केले. तसेच १९९१ मध्ये वॉशिंग्टनमध्ये श्वसन रोग आणि न्युमोमिया नियंत्रणाविषयी भरलेल्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय परिषदेत सर्चनं राबवलेला उपक्रम पथदर्शी ठरवला गेला. आजही भारतासह ७७ देशात ही पद्धत वापरली जाते. सामुदायिक आरोग्याचे प्रश्न सोडवतानाच डॉ.बंग दाम्पत्याने १९८८ पासून व्यसन मुक्ती चळवळ उभारली. याच प्रयत्नातून १९९३ साली गडचिरोली जिल्ह्यात दारूबंदी लागू झाली. दारूबंदीची प्रभावी अंमलबजावणी आणि सोबतच तंबाखुमुक्ती साध्य करण्यासाठी ‘सर्च’द्वारे आखलेला ‘मुक्तिपथ’ हा उपक्रम फारच पथदर्शक ठरला.

वैद्यकीय व सामाजिक क्षेत्रातल्या विविध अनुभवांवर डॉ.अभय बंग यांची 'माझा साक्षात्कारी हृदयरोग' आणि 'सेवाग्राम ते शोधग्राम' तर डॉ.राणी बंग यांची 'गोईण', 'कानोसा' आणि 'पुटिंग विमेन फर्स्ट' ही पुस्तके प्रकाशित झाली आहेत. कुपोषणामुळे होणार्‍या बालमृत्यूचे वास्तव किती प्रखर, भीषण आहे, हे पटवून देण्यासाठी त्यांनी ‘कोवळी पानगळ’ हा अहवाल प्रसिध्द केला. त्यांची बीबीसी सारख्या आंतरराष्ट्रीय वृत्तवाहिनीने सुध्दा दखल घेतली. भारतातील सार्वजनिक आरोग्यासाठी त्यांनी केलेल्या कार्याची जागतिक स्तरावर दखल घेण्यात आली आहे. दुर्गम आणि ग्रामीण भागातील नवजात बाळांना आरोग्यसेवा, बालमृत्यू प्रतिबंध आणि स्त्री आरोग्याच्या समस्यांबाबत त्यांनी तयार केलेला उपक्रम आज भारतासह अनेक देशांत राबवला जात आहे.

डॉ.बंग दाम्पत्याला आजपर्यंत विविध नामांकित पुरस्कारांनी सन्मानित करण्यात आले आहे. त्यामध्ये महाराष्ट्र शासनाचा सर्वोच्च पुरस्कार महाराष्ट्र भूषण, अमेरिकेच्या टाईम मॅगझिनचा ‘ग्लोबल हेल्थ हिरोज’, जागतिक आरोग्य संघटनेचा ‘पब्लिक हेल्थ चॅम्पियन्स’, जॉन हॉपकिन्स विद्यापीठाचा ‘सोसायटी ऑफ स्कॉलर’, मॅकऑर्थर फाउंडेशनचा आंतरराष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार, गांधी नॅशनल मेमोरियल सोसायटीचा ‘बा आणि बापू’ पुरस्कार तसेच मानद डी.एससी व डी.लिट या पदव्यांनीही सन्मानित करण्यात आलं आहे. विशेष म्हणजे डॉ.अभय बंग हे भारत सरकारच्या 'आदिवासींचे आरोग्य' यावरील तज्ञ समितीचे अध्यक्ष, महाराष्ट्र शासनाच्या संतुलित विकास अर्थात डॉ.केळकर समितीचे सदस्य, बालमृत्यू व कुपोषण विषयक समितीचे अध्यक्ष व अमेरिकेतील राष्ट्रीय विज्ञान अकादमीच्या वैद्यकीय समितीचे सदस्य म्हणून कार्यरत आहेत. तर डॉ.राणी बंग राष्ट्रीय लोकसंख्या आयोग आणि राष्ट्रीय पोषण आयोगाच्या सदस्या यासह अनेक आंतरराष्ट्रीय समित्यांवर तज्ज्ञ म्हणूनही कार्यरत आहेत.

डॉ. राणी बंग आणि डॉ. अभय बंग यांनी सामाजिक आणि वैद्यकीय क्षेत्रात भरीव योगदान देऊन आदिवासी बांधवांच्या आयुष्यात आनंद "निर्माण" केला त्याबद्दल डॉ. राणी बंग आणि डॉ. अभय बंग यांच्या पाठीवर कौतुकाची थाप टाकून प्रोत्साहन देऊन त्यांच्या चार दशकीय प्रवासाचा कृतज्ञतापूर्वक सन्मान करण्यासाठी यशवंतराव चव्हाण सेंटरचा 'यशवंतराव चव्हाण राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार २०२४' देताना आम्हाला अतिशय आनंद होत आहे.

• National Awards

• Awards Content:
  • वर्ष: 2023, पुरस्कार प्रकार: राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, a paediatrician, globally recognized for her research on tuberculosis and HIV, is a socio-medical luminary who has the distinction of being the first Chief Scientist of World Health Organisation. She has straddled national and international arenas in health research and management with effortless grace and professionalism of the highest order.

Born to Dr. M. S. Swaminathan and Mrs. Mina Swaminathan in erstwhile Madras, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan had the proverbial "Big Boots" to fill, for her illustrious father is none other than the legendary agronomist and agricultural scientist who has earned the sobriquet "Father of the Green Revolution in India".

She made sure-footed strides in her quest for excellence earning her MBBS from the hallowed portals of the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. She followed it up with a M.D. in paediatrics from The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. She is also a Diplomate of National Board from the National Board of Exams. She capped her already envious academic accomplishments with a post-doctoral medical fellowship in neonatology and paediatric pulmonology at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles under the aegis of the Keck School of Medicine.

In her early days, she was a research fellow in the department of paediatric respiratory diseases at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. Thereafter she worked as a senior research officer, Cardiopulmonary Medicine Unit, as well as an adjunct associate clinical professor at the Department of Public Health and Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts.

Dr. Swaminathan joined the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis in 1992 as a coordinator for "Neglected Tropical Diseases". She rose to be the director of the NIRT and remained with them till 2013. In the interim period of 2009 to 2011 she was appointed the coordinator of the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases in Geneva. From 2015 to 2017, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Secretary of the Department of Health Research (Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) for the Government of India.

From 2017 to 2019 Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was the Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation. In 2019 she was elevated to the position of Chief Scientist of WHO and played a pivotal role during the Covid 19 pandemic. She was instrumental in urging nations to conduct whole genome sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus more frequently and to upload sequences to the GISAID platform, the world's largest public- domain repository of COVID-19 sequences, thus facilitating genomic epidemiology and real-time surveillance to monitor the emergence of new COVID-19 viral strains across the planet.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan's areas of focus are paediatric and adult tuberculosis, epidemiology and pathogenesis, and the role of nutrition in HIV-associated Tuberculosis. She is one of the pioneers in the use of molecular diagnostics for TB surveillance and care. She was part of the TB Zero City Project which aimed to create "Islands of elimination" working with local governments, institutions and grassroots associations. In 2021 she was also appointed to the "Pandemic Preparedness Partnership" group to advise the G7 presidency.

In her journey from a research fellow to the exalted position of the Chief Scientist of The World Health Organisation, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has won myriad accolades on the way. She has been conferred the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Indian Association of Applied Microbiologists, the "Kshanika Oration Award" by the Indian Council of Medical Research, the "Dr. Keya Lahiri Gold Medal" for best paper at the XIth National Paediatric Pulmonary Conference, the "AstraZeneca Research Endowment Award" by the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research and the "Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Award". She is also a fellow of the prestigious Indian Academy of Paediatrics, the National Academy of Sciences India, the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Academy of Sciences. She was also elected Foreign Fellow of the US National Academy of Medicine as well as the Academy of Medical Sciences of the UK. She has a vast body of research papers and publications to her credit.

In view of her sterling achievements, Yashwantrao Chavan Centre is proud to confer the much coveted Yashwantrao Chavan National Award for the year 2023 to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan for her yeoman service to medicine in particular and mankind in general.

• National Awards

• Awards Content:
  • वर्ष: 2021, पुरस्कार प्रकार: राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार

Dr. Renu Swarup, the Awardee is the former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. She was also holding, for some time, the charge of Secretary, Department of Science and Technology. Dr. Swarup was the founding Managing Director and the Chairperson, BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council). It is a public sector entity set up to foster and nurture Startups and Entrepreneurship in Biotech sector. It supports over five thousand startups and nearly one thousand industrial units. It has helped more than 300 novel technologies and products being developed.

Dr. Renu Swarup has a Ph.D. in Forest Genetics and Plant Biotechnology under CSIR Fellowship. She completed Post-doctorate under Commonwealth Scholarship in Applied Biology at John Innes Centre, Norwich, England and joined the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India in 1989. She retired on 31st October 2021. Post retirement, she is a Member of the Executive Board of the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance - a Centre of the Danish Health Ministry. She is also a Member of the National Start Up Advisory Council set up by the DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade), Government of India.

Dr. Renu Swarup was responsible for the Women and Science Programme under which more than 500 women scientists have been given re-entry research grants. She is currently a Member of Third Academy for Women in Science in the developing world. In the fight against Covid, she was responsible for S & T solutions. She had developed Mission Covid Suraksha, which delivered world's first DNA vaccine, indigenous mRNA vaccine, first protein based indigenous vaccine and first nasal vaccine.

Dr. Renu Swarup was also responsible for first Human Genome Cataloguing Initiative. She was involved in international partnerships such as, partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, UK; Indo-US Sister Innovation hub and partnership with UK, Finland and Sweden.

Given her distinguished career, Dr. Renu Swarup has been the recipient of several awards and honours. She was conferred life time Biotech Policymaker 2021 Award, National Entrepreneurship Award 2017, Biospectrum Person of the Year Award 2012, to name a few. She is a Fellow of National Academy of Science, India; Life member of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Science, Member of the Genetical Society, UK; and Life Member of Indian Science Congress Association.

With her significant and dedicated work in the field of Biotechnology and modern sciences, she has made outstanding contribution to the social and economic development of the nation. The Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan, Mumbai is pleased to honour her services to the nation by conferring on her the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2021.

• National Awards

• Awards Content:
  • वर्ष: 2020, पुरस्कार प्रकार: राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार

Shri Vivek Sawant, who is former Managing Director of Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited, hails from Konkan. He was born on 26th October 1958 in Mumbai. However, his grandfathers - both maternal and paternal, were settled in Konkan. His maternal grandfather, Shri Shankarrao Dajiba More belonged to Harne-Murud, the village to which Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve belonged. Shri More was a renowned sculptor, interior designer, decorator and mural artist. He engraved the letters 'हे राम' on the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, Delhi.

Vivek's paternal grandfather was Laxman Hari Sawant. He shifted his base from Ratnagiri to Nashik where he established new high school, which was dedicated to national education. He was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi who believed in simple living and high thinking. The then Chief Minister, Shri Yashwantrao Chavan had given land in Nashik at a nominal price for the high school and he also inaugurated the building of the high school. Shri Sawant was honoured as ideal teacher on the national level. Vivek Sawant's father was associated with Kushthadham - an institute dedicated to treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients. Vivek's mother had started a school called 'Shishu Vihar' where she worked on honorary basis. One can see the imprint of high values of his father and grandfathers in the life and work of Shri Vivek Sawant.

After completing his school and college education in Nashik and post-graduation in Pune, Vivek served as a teacher of physics, electronics and computer science at the Fergusson College, Pune from 1979 to 1987. In 1988 he started working in C-DAC, then headed by Dr. Vijay Bhatkar. He worked in C-DAC from 1988 to 2000, where he participated in design and development of India's first indigenous super computer Param. During his tenure at C-DAC, he established the nationwide network of 20 Advanced Computing Training Schools (ACTS). Under his stewardship of ACTSs, more than 25,000 engineering graduates from various disciplines were rigorously trained in software engineering and state- of-art software development tools and methodologies. All of these trainees of ACTS got placements in leading IT industries in India and abroad.

A significant initiative of Shri Sawant has been the IT literacy campaign within the Government of Maharashtra from 1995. It has now taken the form of MKCL and MS-CIT. MKCL has emerged as a high-tech initiative of the Government of Maharashtra and ten universities for technical education, e-governance and empowerment technologies. It is widely acknowledged as the benchmark in IT literacy and a major step towards bridging the digital divide and resultant knowledge and opportunity divide. In view of his pioneering contribution in e-governance of the PWD, he was invited to be the co-author of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana under which a nationwide rural road network of 12 lakh kms has been established. He also played a leadership role in computerization of the Maharashtra State Legislature and revolutionized the working of Stamps and Registration Department. In MKCL he has set up a network of about 5,000+ authorized learning centres spanning the length and breadth of Maharashtra. Over 1.25 crore learners have taken the low cost but high quality IT qualification leading to MS-CIT. This venture has provided employment and self-employment opportunities to about 25,000 youngsters at their native places. Today MKCL has emerged as a self-sustaining, wealth creating and ever growing enterprise, which is committed to its social responsibility and social accountability.

Shri Sawant has served on the Board of Studies and Academic Councils of several universities. He is the honorary fellow of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Odisha Knowledge Corporation, Haryana KCL, MKCL International Free Zone Establishment, Dubai; MKCL Arabia Ltd., Riyadh; MKCL Malaysia, MKCL Lanka, etc. He is a recipient of several awards for his distinguished contribution in the field of IT and computer education. To mention a few, Rotary's Vocational Excellence Award, Rajeev Gandhi Sanganak Sarathi Award, Doordarshan's Shikshan Ratna Award and Pune's Pride Award 2014 for Excellence in Education. Currently he is the Chief Mentor of MKCL.

With his significant and dedicated work in the field of IT literacy, e-governance and education, he has made outstanding contribution to social and economic development of the nation. The Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan, Mumbai is pleased to honour his services to the nation by conferring on him the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2020.