Bhubaneswar: Prestigious Odisha Living Legend, Youth Inspiration Awards for 2018 conferred on notable personalities of Odisha here at The Crown Hotel, Bhubaneswar. The Annual Living Legend and Youth Inspiration Awards selected great and inspiring individuals from different sections of the society and OdishaInc awards were conferred uponinspiring institutions and individuals contributing to the economy of the state.
Chief Guest Hon’ble Health, IB Minister ShriPratap Jena, conferred the National Living Legend award, Odisha Living Legend and Odisha Youth Inspiration Awards, OdishaInc Award to awardees.
From this year Odisha Diary has introduced National Living Legend Award. The first ever National Living Legend Award 2018 was conferred on MadhuPanditDasa, Chairman, The AkshayaPatra Foundation. Speaking about the newly introduced award segment, Mr. RashmiRanjanParida, Editor and Founder of Odisha Diary and Odisha Diary Foundation and a pioneer in Digital Journalism, said there is a need to bringing the best of the world and India to Odisha and take the best of Odisha to India and to the world. In this context a National Living Legend Award was instituted to appreciate Odisha’s national connection and inspiring work that impacts Odisha and India.
In the Living Legend Oration, which focused upon the subject of Philanthropy in 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities, ChanchalpathiDasa, Vice Chairman, TheAkshayaPatra Foundation said, “Strategic philanthropy is needed for impactful social initiative. AkshayaPatra was able to structurally expand and bring positive impact in our society because of the collaboration with the corporates by methodical implementation of large scale projects.”
Elaborating on the challenges faced by non-profit organisations, Dasa said. “Civil society organizations can only bring with them dedication, passion and compassion whilecorporates can provide management, good practices and networking along with funding needed for successful execution of social initiatives. Hence a strategic collaboration with the corporates can bring the impactful change we all want to see.”
Mr. Shantanu Mishra, Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation, one of the two key note speakers in the Living Legend Oration, stressed upon the need for integration between non-profit, for-profit and government interventions and said collaboration has become a necessity and not just a choice.
Odisha Living Legend Awardees of 2018 conferred on renowned modernist poet Padma BhushanRamakantaRath in Literature, renowned film director and screenwriter Padma ShriSisir Mishra in Film Industry, Kenyan Parliamentarian Dr. SwarupRanjan Mishra in Public Policy, Smile Foundation co-founder Santanu Mishra in Social Service, torch bearer of education ShriBudhadevMeher in Education, mountain man DaitariNaik in Social Service, iconic song Rangabati Lyricist ShriMitrabhanuGauntia, Odisha-based Japanese Odissi Dancer Masako Ono in Art & Culture, Olympian, international sprinter Dutte Chand, legendary coach Nagpuri Ramesh in sports, pioneer of Hotel, Hospitality industry J.K. Mohanty in entrepreneurship, legendary community activist, poet Gountia Mohammad Jamiullah in Communal Harmony, Women Entrepreneur of the Award – Tara Das.
Odisha Government’s MoSchoolAbhiyan and not-for-profit initiative Kalahandi Dialogue received special appreciation from the award organizers. They were felicitated for their impactful work in past one year.
Odisha Youth Inspiration Awardees of 2018 includedSaroj Dash in Social Service, Bharat Majhi in Literature, RashmiSahoo in Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Sandeep Kumar Patnaik in Public Policy, PadminiPanigrahi Art & Culture, PramodBhagat in Sports, ElinaSamantray and DilipSahoo in Film Industry, SubhojitSahu in Education and Social Service, ShriNareshMohapatra in NRO and special citation to RudraPrasannaRath for promoting social cause through social media.
These awards launched in 2011 have emerged as the most important civilian award to acknowledge and recognize extraordinary and inspiring contribution to Odia society. In last seven years many leading names including TulasiMunda, PriyambadaHejmadi, Pratibha Ray, SarthakBehuria ,SabyasachiMohapatra, SitakantaMahapatra, Jharana Das,
Pt. HariprasadChaurasia, ManoramaMahapatra, Kishore Mania, PK Mahanandia, Santrupta Mishra and UttamMohanty, ShivSundar Das, Dr. TrilochanPradhan, Dr S K Nanda, ShrutiMohapatra, BhagabanMeher , Prashanta Nanda, Jharana Das, DilipTirkey, SudarsanPatnaik, Nilamadhav Panda, ManoramaMahapatra , Kishore Mania, JayantaMohapatra, GopalGhosh, K. Ravi Kumar, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, ChatrubujMeher, Pratibha Satapathyetc have been awarded with Odisha Living Legend Awards.