5 INSTITUTIONS, 3 INDIVIDUALS GET NATIONAL AWARDS FOR CHILD WELFARE

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Five institutions and three individuals have been selected for National Awards for Child Welfare for 2002.

The awards are given to encourage and promote voluntary efforts for the cause of children.
Institutional awardees get a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh and a citation; individual awardees get Rs. one lakh alongwith citation.

The awardees are:

i. Fr. Agnel Niketan (boys home), Pilar, Goa;
ii. Mizoram Hmeithai Association (Mizoram Widows Association), Aizawl;;
iii. Human Development Foundation of Sikkim, Gangtok;
iv. Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission, Barrackpore, West Bengal;
v. Sivananda Matha, Fort Munger, Bihar; and
vi. Smt. Archana Bankimbhai Desai, Shishu Vihar, Valsad, Gujarat;
vii. Dr. Edward Lobo, Nirmala Shankerpura, Udupi, Karnataka; and
viii. Shri Ram Snehi, Abhyudaya Ashram, Morena, Madhya Pradesh.

Selection for the awards was first made by committees appointed by States / UTs, and based on their recommendations, the final selection was made by the National Selection Committee, headed by Minister of State for HRD, Mrs Jaskaur Meena.
Voluntary efforts have a special place in the total efforts of the country to promote the well-being of children. A number of voluntary organisations are engaged in this work and the dimension of voluntary action and its importance are expected to grow in future.