Aruna Roy gets Lal Bahadur Shastri award

New Delhi: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today conferred the prestigious 'Lal Bahadur Shastri award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academic and Management for the year 2010 to social activist Aruna Roy.

Mr Aruna Roy received the award from the President at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan, amid the presence of several members of Parliament, diplomats, members of the Congress Working Committee, senior Government officials and renowned academicians.

The eleventh Lal Bahadur Shastri National award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academic and Management has been given to Ms Roy in recognition of her outstanding and pioneering work in the field of social work and community leadership, and for her arduous journey and dedication towards the issues of the common man.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Roy said this award is a recognition of the value and the importance of the RTI and the NREGA.

Describing the RTI and the NREGA as outcomes of collective efforts for all those people who resorted to several agitations to secure these rights, Ms Roy said,'' We see this as an award for all the people who were involved in these efforts.''

Convener of the jury and the chairman of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management Anil Shastri, said Ms Roy had been selected for her quality intervention in precipitating positive social change and triggering a grassroot movement for a check against arbitrary governance.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs five lakh, a citation and a plaque.

The awardee is designated a Lal Bahadur Shastri fellow and his name inscribed on the honour roll of the Lal Bahadur Shastri institute of management in Delhi.