The prestigious Shambhavi Puraskar will be conferred on engineer Hari Sankar Rout for 2017 for his contribution towards social change.
Rout was selected as he was working in inaccessible pockets of Kandhamal district of Odisha on Natural Resource Management and livelihood promotion of marginalised communities, said a statement from Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation that instituted the award in 2014.
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The Shambhavi Puraskar is given in recognition of excellence and innovation by emerging social catalysts who have acted as agents of change in society.
The annual award carries a citation and cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Union Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy is slated to give away the award to Rout on April 16.
Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation is the social arm of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd and it works in the verticals of Education, Water & Sanitation, Skill Development, and Health Initiatives with a special focus on women & child development, the statement said.