The Gandhi Mandela Award 2019 for Social Impact has been conferred on Dr Achyuta Samanta, founder of KIIT and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).
The first Gandhi Mandela Peace Award for Impact in Philanthropy Space was given to Dr Samanta in New Delhi on Thursday. This award is conceived and conceptualised by the Gandhi Mandela Peace Initiative by Believe Foundation, Dr. Raman Bhai Patel Foundation, Africa Rising Foundation, Sunday Guardian Foundation and Godrej.
The Gandhi Mandela Peace Initiative is an annual event brought together by Dr Annurag Batra of Believe Foundation (India) and Tarina Patel of Dr Ramanbhai Patel Foundation (South Africa) to celebrate victory of love over hatred and celebrate 150 years of Gandhi and 100 years of Mandela’s inspirational lives.
The jury of the Gandhi Mandela Peace Initiative Awards 2019 was led by Arif Mohammed Khan (public intellectual) with participation of Savita Hiremath (filmmaker), Tarina Pate (actor), Dr Annurag Batra (publisher), Bhuvan Lall (author) and Manoharan Moses (journalist). Expressing his happiness, Dr Samanta said, “I dedicate this award to my warriors in my mission against hunger, poverty and illiteracy, a cause to which I am married to.”