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Thursday, Dec 02, 2004

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National

Mahaveer award for Dhaddha

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 1. The Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation has announced the ninth Mahaveer Awards 2003 in the fields of non-violence and vegetarianism, education and medicine, and community and social service.

Each award carries a cash of Rs. 5 lakhs, a citation and memento. The awards will be presented at a function in New Delhi in January, N. Sugalchand Jain, Managing Trustee of the Foundation, said here on Tuesday.

The award for non-violence and vegetarianism has been bagged by Siddha Raj Dhaddha of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Mr. Dhaddha (95) is a strong advocate of vegetarianism and animal welfare. He is a staunch supporter of "go-seva" (cow protection).

The Uttarakhand Seva Nidhi Paryavaran Shiksha Sansthan, Almora, Uttaranchal, which has been selected for the award for excellence of service in education and medicine, has been educating people at the grassroots, particularly environmental education. The organisation supports 28 non-governmental organisations and runs 355 balwadis in villages in Uttaranchal.

The award for excellence of service in community and social service has gone to Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysore, Karnataka. The voluntary organisation was founded in 1984 by a group of medical students to provide rational, ethical and cost-effective medicare to the rural and tribal poor.

Mr. Jain said that a total of 212 entries were received. The awardees were selected by a nine-member jury, headed by the former Chief Justice of India, M.N. Venkatachaliah.

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