Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk receive Magsaysay awards
31st August, 2018Category: International
Among six individuals, two Indian nationals, Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk, on Friday were given the Ramon Magsaysay award, popularly known as Asia’s Nobel Prize, at a ceremony in Manila.
Vatwani is a psychiatrist who has dedicated his life for rescuing mentally ill people from the streets of India — who number around 400,000 according to estimates — and providing them with shelter and treatment through his Shraddha Rehabilitaion Foundation. He established Shraddha Rehabilitation Foundation in 1988 and since then, Vatwani has helped around 7,000 mental patients, reuniting many of them with their families.
Wangchuk (51) has been recognised for “his uniquely systematic, collaborative and community—driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth, and his constructive engagement of all sectors in local society to harness science and culture creatively for economic progress, thus setting an example for minority peoples in the worldâ€. In 1994, with Mr Wangchuk in the lead, 'Operation New Hope' (ONH) was launched to expand and consolidate the partnership-driven educational reform programme.
Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named.
Read More: The Economic Times, NDTV, The Hindu