NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, FEB 9
The Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation has announced the awardees for the 29th Mahaveer Awards, honouring five exceptional individuals and organisations from across the country for their unwavering commitment to humanitarian service. The awards recognise sustained contributions in the fields of Non-Violence & Vegetarianism, Education, Medicine, and Community & Social Service, celebrating changemakers who have worked tirelessly for the welfare of the underprivileged and marginalised.
- Five outstanding institutions and individuals from across India named for exemplary service
- Awards recognise excellence in Non-Violence & Vegetarianism, Education, Medicine, and Social Service
- Each award carries ₹10 lakh, citation and memento; total awardees now cross 100 nationwide
- Eminent jury led by former CJI Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah selected winners from 267 nominations
The awardees for the 29th Mahaveer Awards are Sarhad (Maharashtra) for Non-Violence & Vegetarianism; CORD (Himachal Pradesh) for Education; Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation (Karnataka) for Medicine; Smt. Sangkhumi Bualchhuak (Mizoram) for Community & Social Service; and NIRMAN (Odisha) for Community & Social Service.
Each of the award-winning organisations and individuals represents a powerful story of compassion in action. Sarhad has been instrumental in promoting peace and non-violence in conflict-prone regions through cultural dialogue and youth engagement. CORD has empowered marginalised communities—particularly women and persons with disabilities—through education and rural development initiatives. The Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation has made quality cancer care accessible through its hospitals and outreach programmes in Karnataka and Odisha. Smt. Sangkhumi Bualchhuak of Mizoram has devoted decades to advancing women’s rights and strengthening community welfare, while NIRMAN has worked extensively with tribal communities in Odisha to enhance livelihoods, food security and women-led institutions.
Instituted to honour exemplary humanitarian efforts, the Mahaveer Awards are presented annually to individuals and organisations whose work reflects the values of compassion, service and social harmony. Each award carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, along with a commendatory citation and a memento.
With the announcement of the 2026 awardees, the total number of Mahaveer Award recipients has now reached 101, spanning 26 States and 2 Union Territories. Prior to this edition, 96 awardees had already been honoured. Over the years, the awards have been presented by eminent dignitaries, including the President of India, Vice President of India, Governors, Chief Ministers and Union Ministers at formal ceremonies.
For the 29th Mahaveer Awards, 267 nominations from across the country were meticulously evaluated by an eminent Selection Jury, chaired by Justice M. N. Venkatachaliah, Former Chief Justice of India. The jury members included Acharya Shri Chandanaji Maharaj, Eminent Sanyasini; Dr. Justice D. Y. Chandrachud, Former Chief Justice of India; S. Gurumurthy, Part-time Director, RBI and Editor, Thuglak; Prof. B. M. Hegde, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mangalore Kendra; T. S. Krishnamurthy, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India; D. R. Mehta, IAS (Retd.), Former Chairman, SEBI; Prabhat Kumar, IAS (Retd.), Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India; and Justice G. S. Singhvi, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Commenting on the occasion, Sugalchand Jain, Founder, Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation, said: “We believe that individuals and organisations dedicated to non-violence & vegetarianism, education, medicine, and community & social service play a vital role in the holistic development of our nation. For nearly three decades, through the Mahaveer Awards, we have been recognising the extraordinary contributions of such changemakers who work tirelessly for the welfare of society. We are honoured to recognise the awardees of the 29th edition whose inspiring efforts continue to uplift the underprivileged and promote compassion and social harmony. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them and express our gratitude to the esteemed jury members for their thoughtful and meticulous selection process.”
The Foundation has also invited nominations for the 30th Mahaveer Awards from individuals and institutions engaged in selfless service across the four award categories. Nomination forms are available for download on the Foundation’s official website: www.bmfawards.org.
