Nari Shakti Puraskar

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Apr 28, 2022, 6:21

The Nari Shakti Puraskar is a yearly award conferred to individual women or institutions for their outstanding contribution to women's empowerment. It is the initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

The President of India presents the Nari Shakti Puraskar on International Women's Day (8th March) each year at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The award is the country's highest civilian honour for women.

Facts About Nari Shakti Puraskar

The Nari Shakti Puraskar is awarded in six institutional and two individual categories, carrying a cash prize of two lakh and one lakh rupees respectively.

Institutional Categories

Award Name

Awarded To

Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Award

Best private or public organization in promoting women's welfare.

Kannagi Devi Award

Best state at improving Child Sex Ratio (CSR)

Mata Jijabai Award

Best urban local body providing services and facilities to women

Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award

Civil society organizations (CSO) for their outstanding work toward women's well-being and welfare.

Rani Lakshmi Bai Award

Best institution for research and development in women empowerment.

Rani Rudramma Devi Awards

Two District Panchayats and two Gram Panchayats for their work related to Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana, and other women's welfare schemes.

Individual Categories

  • Award for courage and bravery
  • Awards for outstanding contributions to women's endeavour and empowerment, community work, or making a difference.
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Nari Shakti Puraskar History

The Nari Shakti Puraskar was first instituted in 1999 with the name Stree Shakti Puraskar. They carried a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation. They were presented under the same categories as Nari Shakti Award.

The first awards were presented to five women on 4th January 2001 by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The recipients were:

  • V. Rabiya of Malappuram district, Kerala
  • Chinna Pillai of Madurai, Tamil Nadu
  • Brahmacharini Kamala Bai of Nagaur district, Rajasthan
  • Kinkri Devi of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh
  • Kumari Lalita Pradkar of Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh

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Nari Shakti Puraskar 2022

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar on 8th March 2022 for the years 2020 and 2021 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The award ceremony was not held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 situation.

A total of 28 awards were given to 29 women, 14 each for 2020 and 2021. Below is the list of awardees:

Nari Shakti Puruskar 2020

Sl. No

Name

State/ UT

Domain

1

Anita Gupta

Bihar

Social Entrepreneur

2

Ushaben Dineshbhai Vasava

Gujarat

Organic farmer and Tribal Activist

3

Nasira Akhter

Jammu & Kashmir

Innovator - Environmental Conservation

4

Sandhya Dhar

Jammu & Kashmir

Social Worker

5

Nivruti Rai

Karnataka

Country Head, Intel India

6

Tiffany Brar

Kerala

Social Worker – Working for Blind people

7

Padma Yangchan

Ladakh

Revived the lost cuisine & clothing in Leh region

8

Jodhaiya Bai Baiga

Madhya Pradesh

Tribal Baiga Art Painter

9

Saylee Nandkishor Agavane

Maharashtra

Down syndrome affected Kathak Dancer

10

Vanita Jagdeo Borade

Maharashtra

First Women Snake Rescuer

11

Meera Thakur

Punjab

Sikki Grass Artist

12

Jaya Muthu, Tejamma (Jointly)

Tamil Nadu

Artisans - Toda embroidery

13

Ela Lodh (Posthumous)

Tripura

Obstetrician & Gynecologist

14

Arti Rana

Uttar Pradesh

Handloom Weaver & Teacher

Nari Shakti Puraskar 2021

S.No

Name

State/UT

Domain

1

Sathupati Prasanna Sree

Andhra Pradesh

Linguist – preserving minority tribal languages

2

Tage Rita Takhe

Arunachal Pradesh

Entrepreneur

3

Madhulika Ramteke

Chhattisgarh

Social Worker

4

Niranjanaben Mukulbhai Kalarthi

Gujarat

Author & Educationist

5

Pooja Sharma

Haryana

Farmer & Entrepreneur

6

Anshul Malhotra

Himachal Pradesh

Weaver

7

Shobha Gasti

Karnataka

Social Activist – Working to end the Devadasi system

8

Radhika Menon

Kerala

Captain Merchant Navy – First woman to receive the award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea from IMO

9

Kamal Kumbhar

Maharashtra

Social Entrepreneur

10

Sruti Mohapatra

Odisha

Disability Rights Activist

11

Batool Begam

Rajasthan

Maand & Bhajan Folk Singer

12

Thara Rangaswamy

Tamil Nadu

Psychiatrist & Researcher

13

Neerja Madhav

Uttar Pradesh

Hindi Author – working for rights for transgender people and Tibetan refugees

14

Neena Gupta

West Bengal

Mathematician

 

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FAQs on Nari Shakti Puraskar

Q.1. What is the Nari Shakti Puraskar?

The Nari Shakti Puraskar is a yearly award conferred to individual women or institutions for their outstanding contribution to women's empowerment.

Q.2. When is the Nari Shakti Puraskar awarded?

The president of India presents the Nari Shakti Puraskar on International Women's Day (8th March) each year at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Q.3. In how many categories is the Nari Shakti Puraskar awarded?

The Nari Shakti Puraskar is awarded in six institutional and two individual categories carrying a cash prize of two lakh and one lakh rupees respectively.

Q.4. When was the first Nari Shakti Puraskar awarded?

The first awards were presented to five women on 4th January 2001 under the title Nari Shakti Puraskar.

Q.5. How many women received the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2022?

A total of 28 Nari Shakti Puraskar were awarded to 29 women in 2022, 14 each for 2020 and 2021.